Ocarina of Time II: Parallel Symphony
by Firebird-X
Summary: By returning Link to his childhood, Zelda has altered the fabric of Time itself. Now the Hero must begin his adventures anew, face a Ganondorf more dangerous than ever, and deal with the mysterious Arbiter if he is to save Zelda and Hyrule once more...
1. Prologue: Overture

Hi, all! I prefer to let my work stand on its own, but a couple of refs to other fanfics and official Zelda works need mentioning:

I make a reference to the excellent fic "Time Cannot Erase" by the lovely and talented CallistoHime, and a tip of the hat to a cool character from "LoZ: The Return" by Rose Zemlya (both here on fanfiction dot net). I also very occasionally use dialogue directly taken or derived from Nintendo games, mainly Ocarina, and one line from the Ocarina manga.

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

**Prologue: Overture**

His life unwound like a clockwork coil springing open.

_The Hero was seventeen, and awake at last.. He fought monsters all over Hyrule, across mountain peaks, in watery depths, in blazing light and endless shadow. He fought to protect the innocent. He fought for her._

_The Hero was sixteen. He slept. In the dream, he held Zelda's hand and watched over her as she gazed at the stars, tears glistening in her eyes. It was a dream, but he knew it was really her._

_The Hero was fifteen. Something evil stirred in Kakariko, and the princess' guardian had gone to face it. He lent her his Power to Repel Evil, though he dared not let her feel it directly._

_The Hero was fourteen. A phantom warrior trained him in swordplay, tireless bodies clashing swords for hours upon end. When the session ended, he watched over Zelda as she slept._

_The Hero was thirteen. The Zoras barely resisted another sorcerous assault by Ganondorf. They would never know that a boy's spirit had made the difference._

_The Hero was twelve. A winged spirit taught him the way of the bow, becoming one with arrows and the magic they could hold. When the session ended, he watched over Zelda as she slept._

_The Hero was eleven. The Kokiri sang mournfully, their drums and ocarinas reflecting innocence lost. Yet they survived, for a power that loved them watched over the forest. Him._

_The Hero was ten. He slept. A man and a woman wrapped him in blankets of light; when he rose, it was night in the world, and he went to watch over the grief-stricken Zelda as she tried to make herself rest. Then, backwards, he emerged from the Master Sword's grip, and..._

Link looked down at his tiny body. _I can't believe she really did it,_ he thought, but he refused to let the tears come through. _How could she? She didn't even ask._

The boy scowled. _Yes she did._ Zelda had asked with her eyes. All Link would have had to do was place his hand over the Ocarina and say no. After all they had been through together, she would never have sent him back if he'd refused. _Besides, she doesn't know. I guess now, she never will._ Even Rauru hadn't known what the Master Sword did to him...did _for_ him...seven years of training, of war and peace, of grief and triumph. He'd been there in Zelda's dreams, comforting her (and yet, he'd never even suspected that she was Sheik...funny, that); he'd been a deadly ghost, protecting the Kokiri Village; he'd watched over the Gorons and Zoras as much as he'd been able, the Sword's Power to Repel Evil blunting Ganondorf's might at least a little.

He still didn't think he'd ever forgive the thing. It had allowed him to protect the people he loved the most...but what about the others? Why had it allowed the people of Castle Town to be driven from their homes - or worse, slaughtered, only to be brought back as ReDead? Why had so many people been forced to suffer? _Because Din had believed in her Chosen,_ Link thought bitterly, though he didn't blame the goddess. That he reserved for Ganondorf and his evil twin 'mothers.' Din, after all, had been the first to grant the Hero her favor and Fire. Indeed, all three goddesses had given him their blessings and their strength.

In the end, Link didn't blame anyone for his return here but himself. Zelda had looked at him with those huge, beautiful, wounded eyes, and begged him for the chance to make it right. Link had never been able to say no to those eyes. Never. _Triforce of Courage, ha,_ the Hero thought bitterly. _Some Hero I turned out to-_ "HEY!" he blurted as Navi flew up towards the window. "Navi!"

"Hey yourself!" Navi shot back and flew out a crack in the corner of the window.

"What in Farore's name are you doing?" Link wailed, running as fast as his stubby child's legs could carry him. A sudden thought froze his blood, but only propelled him faster. _I'm not a Kokiri. Hyrule is safe. Is she...leaving me?_ He darted out of the Temple of Time, noting in passing that the Spiritual Stones were gone. In the back of his mind, he wondered exactly when Zelda had sent him to. He saw the tiny blue sphere flitter down the road towards the castle, however, and every other thought vanished. "Navi!"

Link ignored the handful of outraged cries as he dove past the people of Castle Town, reaching the familiar vines shortly after Navi stopped there. "What...are...you...doing?" he gasped, panting. _I hate kid-running._

"You think I couldn't feel you beating yourself up back there?" Navi replied caustically, arms crossed. "Honestly, what's enough for you? How many times do you have to save - well, _everyone_ - to realize how great you are?" With that, the dam broke, and she threw her arms as far around his neck as they would go, which was barely on both sides of his windpipe, and hugged him for all she was worth. "You big dope," she sobbed.

"Oh, Navi," he whispered, gently cradling the fairy in one hand. He smiled in spite of himself. "At least I'll always have you."

"Oh, yeah!" Navi replied, sorrow seemingly forgotten. "Follow me!" She darted up the wall.

Link sighed. _Why me?_ he thought in exasperation. It was obvious now where Navi was leading him, but he humored her all the same. It dimly occurred to the Hero to wonder where Malon was, but he had other things to worry about. The guards had sharp eyes, and from what his Brother Darunia had told him, they'd fought fearlessly to the end against Ganondorf's legions, but those helmets of theirs made them all but deaf. _At least by Kokiri standards,_ he thought with a wicked grin. No assassin would get past Impa, of course, but he'd have to have a word with her about security all the same. Link's grin vanished. It would probably be the last time he would run along this path...


	2. Part 1, Ch 1: Ten: Second Chances

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Part One: Boy**

**Chapter One: Ten - Second Chances**

Zelda looked through the window at the black-clad desert king approaching her father. _Why? Why won't he listen to me?_ she wondered, clutching at the windowsill. Impa refused to teach her even the least Sheikah techniques before her twelfth birthday, and no matter how free with their lore she was, the princess still felt helpless without them. Just looking at the Gerudo King, she could feel the evil energies radiating off of him. She already knew some Sagecraft, and she'd mastered all three of the basic Hylian Spells at the tender age of ten, but that hardly qualified her to challenge the dreaded Ganondorf Dragmire, Ocarina or no Ocarina. _What am I going to do? I always know what to do..._ The only answer her talent would give her was 'wait,' but how could she? King Dragmire was almost ready to move. Impa's contact with Darunia and her own talks with Ruto were proof enough of that. A brief smile flickered across her face at the thought of Ruto, but vanished in the face of Hyrule's grave plight. _Thank Nayru that the Great Deku Tree yet stands._ A sudden chill struck her. _Please, Nayru, let the Tree still live._ She'd sensed its distress, but all she knew in that moment was that the Kokiri remained untouched...for now.

"The Kokiri..." Zelda whispered. _Why do I keep seeing Kokiri? Especially that boy...so serious for one so young..._ A grave frown on his face, a determination in his eyes to shatter every obstacle that evil might place before him, and some deeper emotion, one she couldn't place, yet for the most part, she knew this courageous boy down to his marrow.

Something landed softly behind her. For an instant, she thought it was Impa, but something about the sound of it was just different enough for Zelda to realize it wasn't. At the same time, she didn't feel at all in danger. _Indeed,_ she mused with surprise, _I've never felt...safer..._

All the same, she gasped in shock the moment she turned.

It was him, the boy she'd seen, his expression even more intense than it had been in her dreams. A moment later, his inevitable fairy flew in from above, alighting on the edge of his tail-like Kokiri hat. She then vanished under it. _And here I stand,_ Zelda thought, trapped between a giggle and a groan, _looking like a helpless, frightened...princess,_ she realized, deciding on the giggle. "You're the one, aren't you?" Zelda coughed politely. "I mean, the Great Deku Tree sent you, didn't he?" The boy nodded. "Then...then you wouldn't happen to have...the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, would you? That green and shining stone..."

"Zelda, this is very important," Link said slowly. Instantly, he had her attention. _When he looks into my eyes...it's like he's peering into my soul._ Zelda nodded. "I have the Stone, but I know what you saw, and there's a flaw in your plan."

Zelda gaped in astonishment. He _knew?_ She was sure she'd have known if the boy was a Sage. The ray of light that dispersed the darkness, the Stone, the fairy...he was a Hero, chosen by the gods, of that she was certain. The Sages guided Heroes, they didn't become them. Yet _he_ knew? "Flaw? I don't understand..."

"You want me to go to the Gorons and the Zoras and gather their Stones as well," he replied. Zelda gasped. _How would he know that? Unless he's heard the legend..._ "They're in danger, and I will help them...but trust me, it's best if we leave the Stones in their own lands."

"But why?" Zelda looked away. "If you know all of this, then you must be aware of Ganondorf..." her head snapped back up, eyes drawn to his face as if by sorcery. There was such _pain_ written in him, such grief...Zelda suddenly wanted to tell him to go home, she'd handle it, her and Impa...

"Oh yes, I know Ganondorf," he whispered. "He's right through that window, isn't he?" Zelda glanced back briefly, beyond being surprised by his knowledge. Ganondorf was just then bending knee to the King, her father. The Gerudo let an eye flicker to her, and he smiled - an expression without humor or kindness, as harsh and merciless as the desert winds he was born to. Zelda paled, and suddenly Link was _there,_ one hand on her shoulder and the other on his sword hilt. "I will _never,"_ he said, and Zelda could almost hear Farore echoing in his voice, "let that monster hurt you. _Never."_

"I'm glad to hear it," Impa replied in her usual dry voice, and Link jumped away from the princess, looking sheepish. "One who came so close to the princess with a hand on his blade without such intentions would have been dead before he touched her."

"Impa!" Zelda said, looking at her protector with wide eyes. "That's not nice!"

"It's my job," Impa shrugged.

"It's her job," Link said in the exact same moment. They looked at each other then, an understanding passing between them, and Zelda grimaced. _Of all the idiotic...!_ For one brief, irrational instant, she'd been jealous of Impa. _Jealous!_

"That's not the point," Zelda replied as calmly as she could manage. "I told you a Kokiri boy would come - well, a boy dressed as a Kokiri, anyway, and with that fairy accompanying him-"

"Navi, Your Highness," the fairy put in politely, glaring at Link as if it were his fault Zelda didn't know her name. "And this lout is Link." The Hero grinned sheepishly, clearly realizing in retrospect that he hadn't introduced either of them.

Zelda smiled indulgently. "An honor, Navi. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Great Deku Tree has embraced - Link - as one of their own." _Link,_ she thought, examining the name in her mind. _A connection. I've never heard of someone being named Link._ Zelda examined the Hero in turn. _Somehow, though, it suits him._ The princess certainly felt connected to him.

"We're getting sidetracked," Link said, shaking his head suddenly, "and we don't have the time." He licked his lips. "Ganondorf suspects what we're planning."

"'We?'" Impa asked, eyebrow raised, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"'We,'" Link replied, scowling at the Sheikah, "seeing as I'm central to the plan, already know the plan, and have vital information about the plan."

"Touché." Impa nodded in acknowledgment. "And this 'flaw' you foresee?"

"I haven't foreseen it, Sage of Shadow," Link replied, eyes tightening, "I've _lived_ it." He reached into his fairy-enchanted pouch and drew forth something plainly impossible: the Shadow Medallion.

Impa was still reacting to Link calling her the Sage of Shadow, expression going neutral and stance sliding to First Focus, when Zelda felt it. The Ocarina in her own enchanted pouch was humming. "Time," she whispered. "You've been through time itself."

Link nodded. "I have a lot to tell you, and not nearly as much time as I'd like to tell it. I'm connected to the Master Sword somehow. I did as you asked, healing the sacred places of the Gorons and Zoras and receiving their Stones in return." He grimaced slightly. _Oh dear,_ Zelda thought with a faint blush, remembering in a rush that the Spiritual Stone of Water had an...unusual...tradition attached to it. "Just as I returned with the last Stone, though, you and Impa were fleeing the castle, Ganondorf right behind you. You threw me the Ocarina of Time, I used it to reach the Master Sword, and then..."

Zelda listened in horror as seven years of the most unimaginable nightmare she'd ever heard poured forth emotionlessly from the boy's lips. The princess could tell Link was leaving a few things out, but what she heard was clearly Truth. Even Impa paled during the worst parts of the story. They'd defeated Ganondorf in the end, but it was everything she was trying to prevent, and in spite of the way Link told the story, there was no mistaking how it all began. This child, no older than herself, had followed her directions into that horror. "What...what do you think we should do, then?" she asked finally, shuffling her feet.

"I'm going to need your help," Link replied, looking grimmer than ever. "We have to stop Ganondorf from reaching the Sacred Realm." The Hero's smile was humorless. "He can't touch the Master Sword, no matter how powerful he gets. Even so, we have to help Darunia and King Zora. Once we do that, they should be able to help us convince your father how dangerous Ganondorf is."

"Yet by the evidence, King Dragmire is aware of our plans somehow," Impa noted quietly. "How do you intend to claim the initiative?"

Link's smile returned, fierce with anticipation. "I have some experience with Ganondorf's twisted puzzles," he replied, his fairy bobbing a 'nod' beside him in agreement. "Just keep the castle safe for a little while longer."

Impa nodded. Zelda did likewise, but bit her lip when Link looked away. _He didn't say, but the future Ganondorf must have killed...how can I stop the evil king when my own father won't believe me?_

Link turned around, and Zelda immediately smoothed her expression. He placed a hand on her shoulder again, and those eyes...for just a moment, she didn't want him to leave. It wasn't fair that the gods should lay such burdens on a boy. _Twice._ It wasn't fair.

Zelda sighed. _Well, as Impa keeps reminding me, life isn't fair. If he can do this, then so can I._ She gave Link her best smile. "We'll protect the palace, Link. Don't worry about us." Link nodded. _It's going to be different this time._

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_What are they up to?_ Ganondorf thought, eyes flashing with crimson light as he brooded on his throne.

Koume and Kotake flew in slow circles around him, and his muscles relaxed at the sound of their cackling. _To think, it disturbed me so in my youth._ The Spirit Temple chamber, with its austere pillars and artwork, held little else. _I should create a third Iron Knuckle,_ he thought incongruously, his mind flickering to practical matters. _Perhaps that rebellious fool Nabooru will suffice._

"Yes, heh heh heh," Koume said, nodding enough to cause her flight to wobble slightly, "Nabooru would be perfect."

"Of course, hee hee hee,' Kotake laughed, "once we break that traitor, the Gerudo will be ours."

"Stay out of my mind, witches," Ganondorf replied absently. It had become a habit - _a pointless habit,_ the monarch added to himself - to admonish them for their telepathy, and for them to ignore him. "The Gerudo are already mine, with a few irrelevant exceptions. The princess has changed her plans. That kid, the Deku Tree's puppet, he knows something."

"It means nothing," Koume said with a fiery snort that echoed through the chamber. _Even I've never gotten used to those noses of theirs,_ Ganondorf mused. "The boy will do the princess' bidding, and she, unwittingly, will do ours."

Kotake scowled. "I disagree," she replied, eyes narrowing. "The Heir is right, sister. The boy knows something." She spiraled closer to the Gerudo King. "Kill him now, Great Ganondorf, before he grows in power."

"Pah!" Koume moved in closer as well. "Didn't we agree the boy would be useful? Did we not place the Stones' path before the princess? How foolish would it be to change our plans now?"

"Ungrateful wretch!" Kotake snarled back. "Did I teach you nothing? We must change our plans when events change! Great Ganondorf is right!" 'Great Ganondorf' rubbed his temples. _Din, not again..._

"You're heartless!" Koume wailed. "Why must you always lay everything on our boy? We can handle this false Kokiri orphan!"

"Enough," Ganondorf rumbled, standing. The two lowered and expanded their flight, bowing their heads slightly. "In the immediate matter, I agree with Kotake that we should adjust our plans regarding that child." He sighed as the four century old mistress of ice stuck her tongue out at her sister. "He defeated the Dodongo King and has reached the Zora throne. Arrogant brat though she may be, Ruto is more cunning than most give her credit for. She will use the boy well, a boy who has proven clever enough to defeat my Cavern puzzles. Nevertheless," he continued, and Koume perked up, "we shall not slay him, yet. To assassinate one child out of fear would show weakness."

Kotake slowed to a stop before the Gerudo King, eyes narrowing even further as she peered into his. "You're certain that is your only reason?" she rasped. "You wouldn't feel _compassion_ or _sympathy_ for the boy, a fellow orphan, would you?"

Ganondorf regarded the old sorceress for a moment. Then he casually backhanded her across the room. "You froze all the compassion and sympathy out of me long ago, witch," he said, his tone light and level. "You needn't fear on that score. It is simply that I have no intention of displaying cowardice over a ten year old kid."

Koume gulped in shock, but Kotake only laughed. "I'm proud of you, King Dragmire," Kotake cackled, levitating from the floor. "Yes, let our minions do the work. When he falls to a Stalfos, or perhaps Barinade, there will be no legend, only a foolish boy who didn't know his place."

Ganondorf nodded and strode from the room, leaving the witches to resume their argument. They did, of course, with depressing alacrity and venom. He dismissed the two from his mind, bending his thoughts to the far-too-clever Zelda and her diminutive would-be protector. _No Stalfos will slay this boy, nor even Barinade, I think,_ the Gerudo decided. _I will have to defeat him myself._ Ganondorf smiled, an expression colder than Kotake's mightiest spell. _When that day comes, he must be old enough that instead of disgust, Hyrule knows only despair._ He laughed. "Yes, Link of the Kokiri, yet not of the Kokiri, grow clever and strong. Become the Hero of Hyrule. When I crush you, that will break the Sages all the more utterly for it!" His laughter continued as he marched forward to summon yet another phantom soul with which to create a monster...

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High King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule turned the coin over and over in his hand. What he felt between his fingers was impossible, yet there it was: the Medallion of Light. The court murmured with concern. Sir Senza and Sir Zuko, the princess' official bodyguards, looked over her head at each other in concern, both men moving a step closer to her. "Where, daughter," he said, trying to tamp down his fear for his only child, "did you get this?"

"A Kokiri boy," Zelda said solemnly. Daphnes bit back a sigh. _I'm proud of you, my child,_ he thought, but the king's throat still tightened. There had been a time that his daughter would have shown her emotions around her father. _I've taught you too well, it seems._ Daphnes shook off the feeling. Zelda would be a great queen. He could give her no more and serve his people properly.

"Kokiri?" Daphnes asked, instead of saying what he thought. "Kokiri cannot leave the forest. They wither immediately, and die within days." The diminutive Zuko scowled, while Senza made the Triforce symbol over his heart.

Zelda's eyes tightened. "He was raised Kokiri. He has a fairy companion, and the Great Deku Tree chose him. That he was born Hylian should make little difference, in light of...this," she said, holding out another wonder.

In spite of himself, Daphnes gasped, shifting in his seat. Half the court gasped far more loudly, however, covering his own gaffe nicely. "The Spiritual Stone of the Forest," he breathed. There could be no mistaking that gem, not for one of Hylian blood. He could feel the Stone's song ringing in his blood, his soul.

This was going to be a problem.

"Leave us," he said, waving the court away. As the shocked Lady Marie went through the more proper heraldic litany of dismissing the nobles and courtiers, Daphnes gestured for Zelda to step forward. Senza and Zuko withdrew with deep reluctance, leaving last save for the king's own guards. Zelda, meanwhile, obeyed, her Sheikah 'nanny' following loyally. "Impa," he said fondly once they were alone. "I do not recall making an exception for you."

Impa's lips twitched. _You do not smile around me any more either,_ he mused, though it gladdened him that she came close today. "You bade me swear loyalty to your daughter, Your Majesty," Impa replied evenly. "Above even yourself, by your own command."

Daphnes nodded. "So I did, so I did," he agreed absently, thoughts returning to the magnificent Stone. "Then Great Deku has chosen a champion." Zelda nodded. "And said champion agrees with you that Ganondorf is dangerous." Again, Zelda nodded politely, but he noted his proper, respectful daughter starting to bounce on her toes. Daphnes himself fought back a smile. It was the most she would ever show, but her patience was starting to fray. _Be a child, my princess, for just a little longer._ He gestured to the step below the throne and stood. "Sit, Zelda."

Zelda blinked and approached the throne, bowing before taking a seat on the highest stair. She gasped as he sat down beside her, gently laying an arm around her shoulders. "Daddy..."

Daphnes nodded. "I know, Zelda. I have not done this in a long time. Too long, clearly." He glanced over one shoulder. _Gods be good._ Impa _was_ smiling, now. It was a tiny thing, but there it was. _Perhaps there is more I can give her after all._ Confident he'd done the right thing, he leaned over slightly. "I know that Ganondorf is planning something. Darunia and Zora the Sixteenth are my friends, you know."

His daughter looked up at him in surprise. "Then why, father? Why did you dismiss me like...like..." she swallowed, then forced a polite expression to form. "Why did you act as if you thought my vision nothing but a dream?"

Daphnes sighed again. _This is going to be difficult._ He gestured at the banners. "Hylians. Gorons. Zoras. Dekus. Kokiri. The races of Hyrule have been fractious for centuries. The peace you have lived with your whole life, Zelda, is a recent and fragile one, and I am the first High King in a thousand years. Even the Gerudos and Sheikah are considered different races by most, not 'true' Hylians." Zelda frowned, but did not react otherwise. _I am glad you are not so sheltered,_ the king thought, _but I wish you did not have to see it._ "If I can make peace with the Gerudo tribe, then only the Dekus will remain outside the law and justice of our ancestors, and they will not resist Hryule's writ for long."

"But father, if Ganondorf threatens our allies, how can you allow him to come here so freely?" Zelda asked. She shivered, and Daphnes caught a brief glimpse of what his goddess-gifted daughter saw, the dark clouds surrounding the Gerudo King, clouds hiding fierce, terrible flames.

"Zelda, sometimes it is more important to talk to one's enemies than one's friends." Daphnes hugged his daughter. She let out a tiny, shocked gasp. _Far too long._ "In public, I show him all the respect and honor due the Gerudo King, their strongest in five hundred years. Zelda, most Gerudo _love_ their king. Aside from a rebellious 'lone wolf' and her adherents," he continued, chuckling at the contradiction, "where Ganondorf leads, they follow, without question or hesitation." His humor vanished as he remembered Darunia's most recent, desperate message. "In private, I have informed him in no uncertain terms that if he is responsible for the Gorons' food crisis or Jabu-Jabu's illness, I will show him that Gerudo are not the only Hylians who know how to fight."

Zelda's face flickered, a wide smile appearing and vanishing as if by Sheikah magic. He'd taught her the gravity of war, and even in the abstract, she clearly remembered her lessons well. "And the Great Deku Tree, father?"

Daphnes sighed. "I cannot bring the dead back to life." Zelda gasped at that, eyes wide, and tears glistened in them. He glanced down. "The boy did not tell you?" he asked, a bit surprised.

"N-no," Zelda replied, blinking. "Excuse me, father, I..."

"I am surprised you did not sense it," Daphnes said, regarding his daughter anew, then turning to the Spiritual Stone once more. There was a filter, of sorts, on the Stone. The ancient Tree had left this knowledge to his champion alone, but Daphnes was too well connected to those he'd made pacts with so long ago to have not felt the void. Impa simply regarded the pair with a raised eyebrow, but Daphnes _knew_ that she'd been aware of it as well. #You cannot shelter her forever, Impa,# he sent to her mentally, grateful that his ability to 'path was not gone entirely.

#Zelda has burdens even you will never understand, my liege,# Impa replied quietly. #We hoped to ease those burdens a little longer.#

#Hmph. 'We?' You trust this boy quickly,# Daphnes shot back.

#I remember him,# Impa 'pathed simply. Daphnes kept his face neutral, but his mind reverberated with shock. #I am the Sage of Shadow. When the lad told me, I remembered it all. Another life, another world. Zelda will explain the specifics, but I tell you this true: even of those chosen to be Heroes, he shall be a legend among legends.# She paused. #And he loves Zelda with an intensity I did not think possible. He has died for her repeatedly, and will do so again if he must.#

_Repeatedly?_ Daphnes thought, wondering how many times a body could handle fairy resurrection. As strong as she'd been, his own wife hadn't been able to survive the magic of the Gerudo witches. He still remembered her, burning and freezing at once, her strange, foreign armor shattered, leading the battle that broke the last Gerudo assault even as she was dying...he shook the memory aside. _I cannot let myself grieve again, not now._ If Impa could make her claim even remembering his golden Luda, then this boy must be extraordinary indeed. He returned his attention to Zelda, who was failing to hide her tears with a wipe from the back of her hand. For a moment, he'd thought the hand had glowed, but it had been a trick of the light, clearly. "Zelda, if my own awareness is accurate, the Great Deku Tree must have been dead before the boy ever reached you."

"It's just...not fair. He's been through so much." Zelda sniffled.

Daphnes handed her a kerchief. She wiped her face daintily, then blew her nose into it loudly. Again, he fought back a chuckle, but couldn't help a smile. "'He,' 'he,' you keep referring to this boy like some kind of phantom. Who is this super-child?"

Zelda's sorrow all but vanished, and she smiled up at him like the sun itself. "Link," she said.

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"Watch out!" Navi shouted.

Link circled the electrified monster, hefting the boomerang carefully. _Well, this is different,_ he thought wryly. He dodged the thing as it spun at him again. It was almost exactly the same as before, but one small element was complicating the fight.

"Put me DOWN, you ugly beast!" Ruto howled, beating on the thing's...head, antenna, whatever it was that formed one of Barinade's topmost elements. She was distracting it rather nicely, but when Link used the Lens of Truth, he could see a magical force keeping her pinned to it. If he wasn't going to hurt the Zora princess, the young Hero was going to have to be careful with every throw.

_Why couldn't have this been like the Dodongo Caverns?_ Link thought wearily. Jabu-Jabu was far more badly infected this time around than the poor old fish-god had been before - and Link wasn't about to lose another guardian deity to Ganondorf.

The Caverns had been so easy...

_"Still not very bright, are you?" Link laughed, running as fast as his stubby child's legs would carry him. Again, King Dodongo suffered an explosive case of indigestion. "Even kid-running is faster than you," he taunted as the monster bellowed in rage and pain. Again it pounded after the young Hero. Again Link ran for a sample of the 'Goron special crop.' "I just hope Darunia doesn't get overly excited again. Gods, he's more dangerous than you are." He turned as he hefted another bomb 'fruit.' "You think he'll try to hug me?" Link asked casually, tossing the explosive plant as the creature bellowed its wordless response._

_Darunia _had_ tried to hug him, of course._

Link dodged another spinning charge from the deadly anemone-thing, eyes narrowing as he focused. Mercifully, its whirling had caused its upper appendages to entangle, thanks to Ruto's presence. _I really shouldn't be so glad that Ruto's dizzy too,_ he thought, grimacing as he let the boomerang fly. He smiled - _finally!_ he exulted, relieved - as the weapon hit home and the monster fell over. Of course, the smaller beasts were swirling around it, but Link knew how that worked. He rolled past one, ran around the others, and leapt at the exposed body with his Kokiri blade.

"Hnn - hnn - hnn - hey-AAH!" he roared, finishing his series of slashes with his trademark spin, unleashing a fiery ring of magical power. The creature began to shudder, its body withering. "Gotcha!" Link exulted, then gasped in horror. "Ruto!" He leaped over the parasite, driving his sword down and sending Navi with a thought to center his focus on his target. _Guide my blade, Farore!_ the Hero prayed. If he missed that antenna...Link didn't want to think about what would happen to the Zora princess, no matter how tough she was.

He didn't miss.

Barinade thrashed for a moment, and Link forced the Iron Boots to appear on his legs - he ignored the snapping sound, but he couldn't prevent tears from forming as his thigh bones broke neatly in the middle. His body held, though, Ruto's eyes going wide in sympathetic horror even as Barinade's tentacle-thing tore away where his sword had driven through it into the ground. He willed the boots to vanish, falling at Ruto's side and smiling through pain-born tears as he watched the beast's spectacular demise. "Are..." he exhaled in pain. "...are you all right?"

"Am _I_ all right? Stupid, crazy...what took you so long, anyway?" The princess grimaced as she knelt next to Link, examining his legs. "I hope you have a potion or a bottled fairy, because if we don't heal you in about five minutes, you're not walking for a while."

"I keep telling him," Navi sighed, darting into his pouch. A pink fairy emerged, immediately followed by Navi, and the pair swirled around his legs. Link stood slowly and cautiously, testing his legs carefully. His upper legs were still incredibly sore, and Link strongly suspected they would be for days, but at least they worked. "How can anyone be so lazy and so reckless at the same time?"

"Lazy?" Link shot back with a distinctly child-like pout. _I'm ten, I can get away with it._ "Tell that to Ganon."

"I didn't mean it like that," Navi said in a very small voice. Link's pout vanished. All at once, his heart fell into his boots. _Din, Nayru and Farore. Navi's not still guilty about that fight in Ganondorf's Tower, is she?_ His fairy bond quickly disabused him of that notion.

#For the love of Nayru, Navi!# With a flash of inspiration, he shot a mental grin across their link. #How many times do you have to save my life before you realize how great _you_ are?#

"Excuse me," Ruto said loudly. Link looked up, chagrined, but Navi was smiling again. "I _was_ trying to thank you." The Hero just nodded at that, not trusting his voice just then. _Ruto's idea of thanks hasn't changed. Give me Goron hugs any day._ He blinked then, watching her expression change. It was...unreadable. _Uh-oh._ Link remembered the last time they'd been through this.

Familiar magic whirled around them. Link fell into the water all the same, Navi giggling as he splashed noisily into the river. "You..." Ruto said slowly, looking him over. "I guess you looked kind of cool." Her smile came slowly too, and this time he knew exactly what it was, sly and knowing. "Well, kind of. Anyway, you saved me, so I guess I'll reward you. What do you wish? Just tell me..."

Link licked his lips. He'd rather deal with Bongo Bongo again. Even with kid-running. "Ruto, I know you think I want the Spiritual Stone..." What drove him crazy was, for just a moment, he did. _I must be losing my mind._ Still, he looked at the confusion and pain slowly forming in her eyes, and his heart felt like Ganon had grabbed it. "Your Highness, please, listen to me. Ganondorf is trying to get into the Sacred Realm. We have to protect it."

Ruto's eyes cleared. Ganon's fist relented. "Oh! So you want me to hide the Spiritual Stone?"

Link exhaled in relied. "Exactly. Find somewhere even Ganondorf can't reach it. We'll need it many years from now, but if Ganondorf gets his sick hands on the Triforce..." the boy's eyes clouded over. He saw Castle Town in ruins, overrun by ReDead. He saw a boiling pit of lava where Zelda's home had been, that obscene Tower hovering over it. He saw Zelda herself, hovering helplessly in a pink crystal _(Pink...why pink?_ the Hero wondered for the hundredth time), watching in horror as he approached the King of Evil.

He returned to the present, such as it was, with a shock. Ruto's hand was on his arm. It was a look he'd never seen on her before - sympathy. Genuine sympathy. "Love of Nayru...what happened to you?"she asked quietly.

Link forced a smile and put his hand over hers. "One day, you'll find the right man to give your Stone to," he said. Ruto, much to his satisfaction, was speechless. "When you do, make sure you tell him to treat you right, or the Hero of Time will kick his butt from one end of history to the other." With that, he gave the stunned princess a quick peck on the cheek and swam away as fast as he could.

_Yeah. The Dodongo Caverns were definitely easier. All Brother Darunia did was crack a few ribs._

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Zelda smiled at the young Hero's apprehension. Holding his hand, she guided him through the narrow secret tunnel, her wimple brushing the ceiling. "It's all right, Link," she whispered. "Just keep your voice down."

"You hear that, Navi?" Link whispered behind him. Navi razzed him, but she, too, was quiet about it. "Uh, Zelda, why are we doing this again?"

"To keep an eye on the Royal Council," Zelda explained patiently. "Well, more of an ear, really, but you know what I mean." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and tugged him slowly along. "I think you made an impression on King Zora. That letter he sent really got Father's attention."

She felt Link grow solemn. "That's a relief." He padded a little faster. "So what difference does this council make?"

"The Royal Council is more than just a collection of advisors," Zelda explained. "They're all empowered to act on the Crown's behalf in their respective fields, and have considerable authority in their own right. While the king can overrule the Council, sometimes it's a dangerous thing to do, politically." She bit her lip. "And it acts as Regent if something happens to Father before I turn 27."

"That means they're in charge, right?" Link asked softly.

"For the most part," the princess admitted reluctantly. "Certain powers devolve to the Royal Heir - that means I get them - when either Father grants me a seat or the Council votes me in, but they can overrule me in several areas until I reach the three-filled age." Zelda glanced back to see Link raising an eyebrow at that. "Three to the third power - twenty-seven."

"Oh. Numerology." Link nodded ruefully. "Mido gave me the worst time about that. I'm good at normal math, but the sympathetic correspondences just don't stick."

Zelda waved him down. "Sh, we're here." She entered the small, domed room and peered through the familiar stained glass window, the Triforce surrounded by the three Creators. The Hero stretched in relief as he came in. Zelda smiled once more when Link stared in wonder at the minor Light Charm above them. "This illuminates the room below. Come up here, and look through the center of the Triforce symbol." The princess climbed to a well-worn wooden beam, and Link obeyed, following her. He gasped as they stared, the whole of the room visible to them as if by magic. _It's only clever refraction,_ she thought with a grin, _but I can tell him that later._

The Councillors filed in, radiating varying levels of authority and dignity. Zelda watched her friend more than the advisors and nobles, knowing each by heart. "They all seem really different," Link said slowly.

Zelda nodded. "Father believes that one receives better advice from a wide variety of perspectives," she explained, though her eyes narrowed as she locked onto Lady Veran. "On the other hand, some perspectives do have more merit than others."

"Is that, um..." Link began slowly.

"A no-good stuck-up snob who thinks that being Queen would be a step down from what she 'truly deserves?'" Zelda said caustically, pointing at Veran. "That would be Lady Veran, representing the nobility. Officially, she advises Father on the current state of the aristocracy, both acting as their voice and aiding the king in dealing with their unique politics." The princess scowled. "In truth, she schemed her way onto the Council. I believe Father permitted it to keep a closer watch on her."

"'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer,'" Link whispered. Zelda blinked at him in surprise. "It's a Gerudo saying. I never liked it, but it does make a sad kind of sense."

"Actually, it's Sheikah," Zelda replied quietly. For some reason, Link chuckled at that. "The man next to her, in the armor, is Lord General Onox," she continued. "He's ambitious too, and a real stickler for tradition, but at least he's honest about it."

"Why's he wearing armor to a meeting?" Link asked dubiously.

The princess shook her head. "Tradition," she drawled. "Anyway, on Veran's other side is Lady Pompie. Ruto calls her Lady Pompous," Zelda added with a chuckle, "but she's really just kind of a busybody. That's her job, though; with Impa as busy as she is, Lady Pompie is in charge of Hyrule's information network, and she's better at it than she looks." She giggled at that. "Zuko says it's because she's the kingdom's greatest gossip." Link chuckled in response.

Again the princess pointed. "That's Lady Mila next to her," Zelda snorted. "Lady Veran maneuvered her onto the council too. Not that she's bad at what she does - Father would never put up with incompetence - but as advisor on foreign relations, she's best known for her ability to," Zelda paused, wrinkling her nose, "um, 'charm' certain people."

"What kind of people?" Link asked innocently. Navi giggled.

Zelda stuck out her tongue. "Men." The Hero blinked and looked up at Navi, who fell onto his shoulder, holding her belly as she laughed. Link let out a long-suffering sigh. "On the other side of Onox is Lord Jovani," Zelda continued quickly. "He's the Court Exchequer. Jovani lives for money." Strangely, Link sighed sadly at that. "It makes him very good at his job, though, and he is loyal to Father."

"Who's that?" Link asked suddenly, pointing at a tall, broad, imposing Hylian with a thick white beard. "He looks like a wizard."

"Impressive," Zelda replied cheerfully. "That's Master Lenzo, and he's one of the greatest wizards in the world. You can guess what he advises Father on." Link nodded emphatically. "He's also experimenting with enchantment. Among other things, he invented the Light Charm." She pointed at their illumination, which Link watched warily for a second. "Next to him, the shorter fellow with the goggles? That's Lord Bandam, but he tells everyone to call him 'Doc.' He's, well, he's not a witch, but he's a fantastic potion brewer. What people used to call an 'alchemist.' He advises Father on healing and brewing, but he's really more of an 'at large' Councillor."

"What makes him not a witch?" Link asked, puzzled.

The princess looked at Link with deep consideration. "Well, he can't cast spells." _Link's so smart, and he knows so many things some people envy, but sometimes it's like he's from a whole other world._ "I'll explain that later. They're getting started." Link nodded. "The last two are actually the most important. Mistress Agitha is the Court Chronicler, she's been around almost forever, and sometimes it's like she knows everything about Hyrule's laws and history. She's also really, really nice - but don't get her started on bugs!" She chuckled, pointing at the large book the older woman carried. There was a pretty enameled ladybug on the cover. Finally, Zelda directed Link to the even older man walking beside Daphnes as they entered. "And that's Master Potho. He's officially the representative of and advisor on commoners, but he's also Father's closest ally and most trusted confidant." She settled back and watched, Link instantly picking up the hint and giving the meeting his full attention.

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"...Council is now officially in session," Mistress Agitha said. "By His Majesty's leave, please be seated." Everyone sat slowly and formally, the king first and Agitha last. Link kicked his feet idly, the only thing he was aware of besides the Council being Zelda and Navi. _Wow._

"So," Onox said the instant Agitha had settled in. "I cannot say I am pleased with how certain matters have been handled, but what is done is done, and we now know that the Gerudos are a threat." He held up his mailed hand and made a shaking fist. "When do we strike?"

Daphnes cleared his throat pointedly. "We do not, Lord General," the king rumbled. "While we can no longer tolerate King Dragmire's actions, I would avoid open war if at all possible."

"Pah," Onox scoffed. "The Gerudo women are skilled warriors, true, but few in number. Give me a week, Your Majesty, and I will-"

"Find yourself bottled up in the narrow pass leading to their fortress," Daphnes replied mildly. "Unless you have found a sky ship in the course of your duties, Onox, we are not attacking the most defensible position in the known world." The general grunted and folded his arms, but didn't reply.

"While your point is all too valid, Your Majesty," Lenzo said, "especially when we take the Gerudo King's personal wizardry into account, we cannot permit these affronts to go unanswered. Perhaps your sky ship comment has some truth to it."

"You've rediscovered those ancient secrets?" Daphnes asked with a gentle grin. Several Councillors chuckled. Link leaned forward excitedly, but slumped when Lenzo scowled.

"I did not mean that we could _literally_ use sky ships, Your Majesty," Lenzo harrumphed, "but where magic is the question, magic is typically the answer. Some hypotheses, if you will: one, the defensibility of the pass works both ways, two, while the Gerudo leaders are vastly powerful sorcerers, they have few mages while we have many, and three, if your daughter is correct, we have the heir to the Master Sword in reserve."

Link swallowed, but found odd comfort in Zelda's sudden grip of his hand. Then again, he ground his teeth when Veran laughed. He couldn't tell if it was mocking, dismissive, or something of both, but the Hero knew he didn't like it. "A ten year old peasant?" she asked in a parody of good cheer. "How quaint. Perhaps we could ask Ganondorf to stoop to the boy's, ahem, level the next time he visits." Zelda hissed, then smiled coolly at the sight of her father's unamused glare. "In all seriousness," Veran continued in a more subdued tone, "I gather that if the lad could draw the Blade from its resting place at his current age, he would have."

"You're a sorceress," Lenzo said with a faint rumble. "You should understand the Laws of Sympathy and Attraction. He is bound to the Power to Repel Evil, caught up in it by temporal threads and raw bravery." Link rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "That Power flows through him, if in admittedly diminished measure."

"Yeah," 'Doc' Bandam cut in. "I bet that with a little work, we could come up with a few things to even the odds."

Lady Mila sniffed. "Will someone please tell me," she said in a high, delicate tone, "that we are not seriously considering trusting the defense of Hyrule to a half-pint nobody from the Lost Woods."

"Of course not," Potho rasped testily, "but we are discussing his value in its defense. Need I remind you, young Lady Mila, that this boy, at barely a third your age, has already defeated the dreaded Gohma, obliterated the feared King Dodongo with almost pathetic ease, and rescued Princess Ruto herself from an unspeakable horror within the depths of mighty Jabu-Jabu?"

"Indeed," King Daphnes agreed with a deep chuckle.

Mila paled and fanned herself weakly. "Th-this entire discussion b-borders on the farcical." The noblewoman took a deep breath and visibly composed herself. "Surely we can find some way to placate this Gerudo King without allowing him to overrun Hyrule proper."

The king became serious in a flash. "I never said we were going to placate this tyrant, Lady Mila. That is even less acceptable than war, I fear." He glanced around the table. "As for the lad, whatever his merits, Link is secondary to the central issue here. Has anyone advice on how to deal with King Dragmire himself that does _not_ involve a full-scale invasion of the legendary Gerudo Fortress, _or_ exposing our throats to a rabid wolf?"

The councillors muttered among themselves for almost a minute, but no one answered the king. Eventually, they all fell silent. Daphnes sighed heavily, then swept narrowed eyes across them all save Agitha and Potho, who were on either side of him. "You are all dismissed." He waved them off.

Agitha rattled off some formal litany informing the lot they could rise and leave, which they did in knots. _Wait, that can't be good,_ Link thought with foreboding when he noticed Veran and Onox whispering together as they left. Then he caught the king place a hand on Potho's arm. Agitha giggled girlishly, nodding to Potho, then strode after the others. "Old friend, have you any suggestions now that Veran and her coterie are gone?" Daphnes asked quietly.

"Alas, no," Potho admitted with deep reluctance. "I wish I could say that I was holding a cunning plan in reserve, but this time, I am simply at a loss." The elderly Hylian rested heavily against the great round table, running a finger along the wood's grain. "In nearly three centuries, I have simply never seen a threat like unto this Gerudo King." He chuckled bleakly. "His predecessors did not last long. Twinrova found them...less than useful."

"Hm." Daphnes rubbed his chin from beneath his beard. "Gerudo do seem to live rather shorter lives than most Hylians." He looked up, and for a moment Link felt like the king's eyes found him. "Perhaps another perspective is called for. Zelda?"

Link bounced nervously, but Zelda frantically clamped her hand over the Hero's mouth and put a finger to her lips. "Coming, Father," she called lightly, letting the Hero go and gesturing again for him to remain silent. The princess then carefully pulled open the Triforce of Wisdom panel, which turned on a well-hidden hinge, and dropped down gently to the table. "You wished to see me, sir?"

"Hear from you, to be precise," Daphnes said, eyes twinkling, "but that was the general idea, yes." He sat, and she walked innocently across the table to Agitha's chair and sat beside him. Link could barely see his friend past the table and the king, and squirmed along the rafter for a better look.

His Majesty peered at the table and sank slightly, suddenly looking very mortal. "My psychic talents have weakened abominably over the last decade, but I yet have enough clairvoyance to see a glimpse of the world my folly created the first time this history played out." He straightened, then, strength returning. Daphnes smiled at his daughter with distant pride. "I did not listen to you then. That is a mistake I will not make now. Have you any notions on how to navigate the rocks of Onox's insanity and Mila's cowardice?"

"Confront him," Zelda replied instantly. "Gather the entire court for his next visit, and make them see his power and evil with their own eyes." She bit her lip, and Link could almost feel his friend kicking her feet nervously under the table. "Make sure you have the best knights and wizards by your side. I am certain he will reveal his true intentions once you throw them in his face, but I fear he might not stop there." The princess looked up into her father's eyes with concern. "You do know Nayru's Love, don't you, Father?"

"I do not," Daphnes admitted reluctantly. Zelda gasped. "Don't you worry, my dear. There are several brave sorcerers in the court who do." He chuckled, the princess nodding to herself reluctantly. "And I imagine that we would have to lock your powerful young friend in the deepest dungeon to keep him away from this confrontation."

"Even that probably wouldn't be enough." She smiled shyly, if a bit sadly. "He's come a very long way to see to this. I imagine he'll want to protect us, even if we'd rather he remain safe." _Believe it,_ Link thought fiercely.

Daphnes nodded, chuckling again for a moment - then came to a dead stop and glanced at Zelda sharply. "He will not need to protect 'us,' my daughter. You will watch from the safety of the Sheikah passages with Impa."

"Father!" Zelda insisted. Link exhaled in relief. _For once, she's not going to win; for once, I'm glad of it._

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"...telling you, he does _so_ have a girlfriend!" Sir Senza insisted

"Jovani?" Zuko laughed dismissively, patting his friend on the ribs. _Probably because he can't reach Senza's shoulder,_ Zelda thought reasonably. "The only thing that guy loves besides money is his cat. Not that anyone who treats his cat right is all bad, mind you..."

"Then who's that woman he's been meeting at night in the tavern?" Senza said stubbornly. Zuko just laughed again. "Well?"

"How about a merchant? Or a tax collector? He's in charge of the lot of 'em, maybe you remember," Zuko pointed out, then noticed the wimple-clad princess at the Council chamber doors. "Drop it, it's Zelda."

Senza released his thousandth or so long-suffering sigh, then bent a respectful knee to the girl before them, lowering his head. "As always, Little Princess, at your service, miss," he said formally, then looked up and smiled, a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh get up, Senza," Zelda replied briskly, half-motioning, half-nudging him upright. The big knight nodded and obeyed, still grinning.

Sir Zuko rolled his eyes. "You know Senza, Your Highness." He bowed perfunctorily, yet still with respect. "To the garden, then?"

"In a moment," the princess replied happily. "My Hero must join us first."

She grimaced - _at least I hope it looks more like a grimace than a pout,_ Zelda thought - when Zuko laughed abrasively. "A Hero! Capital-H and everything! Ya hear that, Senza?" The short bodyguard nudged Senza just above the belt with his elbow. "I think I'm jealous!"

Senza's smile vanished then, and he nudged Zuko in kind, on top of the shorter man's head with his palm. "Leave off, Zuko, Link's a good kid."

"Good?" Zuko laughed even harder, eyes bulging slightly as he all but wheezed. "He killed that Barinade thing and rescued Princess Ruto! I'd call that a little more than 'good,' Senza." Zelda's sour expression vanished with her mood, becoming mild chagrin. _Oh. Yeah. Zuko._ "I just figure the gods oughta be able to find someone a little...I dunno..." he waved up and down at Senza.

"Taller?" the larger knight asked mildly, the corners of his mouth quirking ever so slightly. Zelda forced herself not to giggle.

Zuko scowled up at his partner. "Watch it," he snapped. "I meant _older,_ you know, maybe a bit more experience." He shrugged then, his temper ebbing quickly. "Funny you should mention it, though. There's not a lot of people who know better'n me not to judge a book by its cover." He looked at the princess. "You trust him, right?" Zelda merely raised an eyebrow at the knight. "Then that's pretty much it."

"I must've missed the part where we disagreed," Senza said with a chuckle.

"That's not my fault," Zuko shot back with a sly grin. While the bigger knight was scratching his head at that, Link jogged up.

"S-Sorry," Link gasped, leaning on his knees and panting. "I still get turned around in this place." He looked up at Zelda. "It's so...big!"

Taking Link's hand, the princess nodded with mock-severity. "Castles can be like that." Then she smiled and tugged him along, Senza and Zuko quickly falling into place behind the pair. "Now, I promised you an explanation."

"Uh, you don't have to-" Navi began.

Link glanced up. "Sh, Navi."

The fairy 'hmmph'ed and ducked under his hat. "Glutton," Navi grumped. Zelda slowed and glanced back raising an eyebrow. "You should've seen him the first time we got out of the Kokiri Forest," Navi explained. Link merely grinned, and for once it wasn't remotely sheepish. "It's a good thing we were trying to save the world when he found his first library, or none of us would have ever seen him again."

"That's not true!" Link insisted. "It's much more fun to learn about stuff for yourself!" He picked up his pace a touch to keep up with Zelda more comfortably. "Besides, it's like Navi said - we didn't really have a lot of time to read. I wouldn't have even gone fishing if it weren't for some of the other stuff you can get there. Could get." Link shrugged. "You know."

Zelda nodded back absently. "Well, you don't have to worry about that now." She didn't bite or lick her lip, but it was an effort. _Gods, please let us not have to worry about that._ "Anyway, mages. 'Mage' is what we call anyone with the ability to use their innate mana." Link nodded. "Okay. A psychic is someone who can 'resonate' with their mana to create specific kinds of magical effects, like clairvoyance or telepathy or mind over matter."

"Why only certain effects?" Link asked, curiosity rippling through both voice and demeanor.

"We don't know," Zelda admitted, "but I think it's kind of like why you can't get a lute to sound like an ocarina. Strings just don't sound like flutes." She squeezed Link's hand gently. "You are a sorcerer. That's someone who can expend her - or his - mana to cast spells. That's the disadvantage; the advantage is that sorcerers can do a lot of things a psychic can't. No psychic can become invulnerable, no matter how powerful your kinetic, mind over matter, powers are."

"What do you call someone who can do both, like you?" Link asked immediately.

"That's a wizard." Zelda beamed proudly, though she shyly ducked her head a little as well. "Wizards can learn to do all kinds of things psychics or sorcerers can't. Only wizards can create real enchantments, and they can mimic spells they know, on a smaller scale, with a psychic effect." She held out a hand. "Like this." Forming a tiny ball of Din's Fire, she threw it at an unlit torch on the wall. The torch burst weakly into flames. Link whistled appreciatively. "I'm not very strong with it yet," Zelda admitted, "but I'm learning."

"Do you think I could learn?" Link asked enthusiastically.

The princess chuckled. "With your power level? Are you kidding?" She grinned at him. "I bet you'll make a great wizard."

Link coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. _Aww._ "And a witch?"

"A witch is a sorcerer who also knows how to brew potions," Zelda explained. "Technically, if someone is a psychic, a sorcerer _and_ a brewer-"

"Alchemist," Senza put in automatically. Then he ducked his head. "Apologies, Little Princess." Zelda just smiled indulgently.

Zuko, meanwhile, snorted. "No one calls 'em that any more," he insisted.

"Doctor Bandam does," Sir Senza replied, "and he is one."

"Doc Bandam's a few bolts sort of a carriage," the smaller knight quipped back, crossing his arms. "Brighter than a castle-size bonfire, but his boat's a little leaky, if ya follow."

Zelda cleared her throat gently. Both men clamped their jaws shut, but glanced at each other meaningfully. _They're going to start up again as soon as we get to the garden,_ Zelda thought, not quite exasperated. "The term 'alchemist' is quite archaic. A handful of scientifically-minded brewers led by the good Doctor are trying to revive it. Since most potion-makers are also sorcerers, it's really not important, usually."

The Hero chuckled. "Unless you've got an important Lord and Council member who cares about it," he pointed out gently.

"You do learn fast," Zelda said. _I guess he had to,_ she thought, a touch sad at the notion.

"Anyway," Link said shyly, "psychic, sorcerer and alchemist?"

The princess grinned again. "Old-fashioned, huh? Anyone who masters all three is an archmage, but we haven't had one of those since forever." She shrugged as the light from the garden flowed through the door ahead. "Although I think Koume and Kotake are, and just hide the psychic part." She wrinkled her nose. "They really give witches a bad name."

"I believe it," Link agreed solemnly. "They didn't seem to be having any..." He coughed and turned considerable attention on a nearby lily when Zuko looked at him as if suddenly spotting a black widow, while Senza's eyes all but popped out. "...I mean..."

"Oh, don't worry about these two," Zelda said brightly, then glared at Zuko sternly. _What's the matter with you?_ she thought, finally reaching exasperation. The leathery warrior leaned casually against the wall, but didn't look away or seem apologetic. Senza, on the other hand, swallowed and followed Link's example with a butterfly. "I'm sure they understand that _I trust you completely."_ She added a bit of fire to her glare. Zuko didn't even flinch. _Sear him._

With a huff, the princess returned to Link's side. "Anyway, since we have a little time, I guess we can continue your education." Link sat down instantly, looking up at her eagerly. Zelda's good humor returned, especially when Senza and Zuko leaped at the sound of a tiny explosion. "Hello, Impa," she said without turning.

"Your Highness," Impa replied evenly. Zelda turned then, catching the last part of a bow. "Senza, Zuko." They nodded to Impa and left, immediately picking up their alchemist argument where they'd left off. "So, Link, what do you wish to know?"

Link started to respond, but stopped before he said anything. Zelda giggled when he scrunched up his face. "That's Impa," the princess said.

"I guess," Link replied resignedly. "Well, in for a green, in for a red. I'm worried abo-"

"In for a what?" Zelda asked.

The Hero froze, mouth half-open. Impa strode over. "The first lesson is for you, it seems," she said, sitting cross-legged to face them both equally. "It is a phrase which means that if you have already taken a risk or become involved with something in which you cannot truly lose any more than you already will, you might as well throw yourself into it fully - wager everything, so to speak - in the hopes of winning more completely."

Zelda frowned seriously. "It's metaphoric, then." Impa nodded. "Yet the comparison seems weak. If you stand to lose one rupee, why would you want to risk twenty because the odds of losing are considerable?"

"If losing the 'one rupee' will somehow place you beyond the point of no return," Impa explained. She smiled faintly. "It is a colloquialism, Zelda. You're expecting too much logic."

Link grinned as well. "Well, she does bear th-" he paused, clearing his throat, "um, it's a wisdom thing." When both ladies moved to speak, he held up his hands. "Please. Ganondorf?"

"Oh," Zelda said quietly. "Yes." Impa nodded in agreement. Her Hero slowly grew a fixed, determined look. _And what are you thinking, Hero?_ the princess immediately wondered. _Whatever it is, I'm not sure I'll like it..._

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"With all due respect, Your Majesty," Ganondorf began, not quite gritting his teeth.

"I find, King Dragmire," King Nohansen replied dryly, "that when someone begins a sentence with those words, 'due respect' is typically the farthest thing from their minds." A handful of courtiers chuckled. Most of the nobles muttered among themselves nervously. Lenzo flexed his hands warily.

"I am attempting," Ganondorf said, narrow eyes almost literally burning with fury, "to remain polite, King Nohansen. You are making that difficult." He clenched his fist, and his two Gerudo warriors padded up to just behind him on either side. As one, the Hylian knights slowly, quietly rested their hands on their swords. The soldiers gripped their spears more tightly. "I am unaccustomed to others making my work difficult."

_I shouldn't be enjoying this so much,_ a quiet observer thought with glee. _...on second thought, I've earned it._

"Now you see," Daphnes said in an almost friendly tone, "it is odd that you should bring up this topic, as it is the very matter I wished to discuss with you." He leaned forward, Elder Darunia and a Zora diplomat emerging from doors to either side of the Hylian king. Ganondorf's expression flattened slightly, but he did not otherwise react. "I have been given to understand that someone _has_ been making your work difficult." Nohansen's mouth twitched. "A boy of ten, dressed like a Kokiri and accompanied by a fairy, but with Hylian ears, according to the reports."

Ganondorf shrugged nonchalantly. "No child has ever been a problem to me."

"Ah," Daphnes continued, "and yet my Brother here claims you had a pet in his Caverns, one slain by this boy." The King of Hyrule leaned forward, humor vanishing instantly. "A 'pet' that was threatening his people with starvation. The Zoras tell a similar tale, mind you, one of horrific monsters infesting their guardian Jabu-Jabu." At this point, the king had made a fist of his own, one trembling with an air of barely-contained fury. "Would you like to know," he said in a very quiet voice, and the king's oldest allies began to edge away from the throne, "what this boy says you did to the Great Deku Tree?" At that, even court decorum gave way to quiet, frightened murmuring.

Ganondorf's facade melted away, and he smiled as he had at Zelda several days ago. "No doubt he told you that the Great Deku Tree was cursed with a spell strong enough to kill even that mighty god of the woodlands." Several nobles gasped. One young man fainted, a lady knight catching him and fanning him worriedly. _Is that Lord Shad?_ the silent observer wondered. _Sir Ashei has him,_ he decided, returning his full attention to the kings.

"Though I cannot imagine accusing this boy of lying after the service he has given my Sworn Brother and royal Zora cousin," Daphnes said, his edged voice nearly a whisper, "I would give you a chance to explain yourself."

Ganondorf's smile turned into a mask of fury. _"Explain_ myself? Explain _myself!_ You fatuous fool! Have you the slightest idea of the power you invite destruction from?" Dark fire gathered in his hand, and he floated into the air. Hylian warriors sprang into action, surrounding both kings immediately. The Gerudo women drew their swords, their faces impassive. "I am the Mandrag Heir!" Everyone around him except his guards gasped in horror. "I am the master of the Twinrova sorceries! I am _Ganondorf Dragmire,_ you grassland weakling, and you live on my sufferance!"

Daphnes rose, and two of the nobles who had backed away now came to his side, swords drawn. Master Lenzo's hands came up, each glowing azure. "I am not the magical genius my daughter is," the king said evenly, "but you can be assured that I am not so weak as that."

Ganondorf's smile returned, more cruel than ever. "Oh, so? Then prove it! DIN'S FIRE!" He threw the ball of shadow and flame at the king. A flare of something else, foul and cruel, threw Lenzo back, leaving the great wizard stunned.

Daphnes' eyes widened. He started to bring up his sword, magic coursing through it. Hylian soldiers threw themselves in front of the burst of power, and fell screaming.

_He's not going to be in time!_ "Nayru's LOVE!" a boy's voice echoed, and a blue rocket appeared in front of the king and his friends. The ball struck the boy, who likewise screamed and fell.

"LINK!" Zelda cried out from above, and Impa was there at his side instantly, needle-blades between every finger. The last Sheikah looked up at Ganondorf, and Link couldn't help but be astonished at the sheer hatred on her face.

"I'm all right," Link groaned as he rose. He forced himself not to look up towards Zelda. "Nayru's Love may protect you from harm, but you still feel it," the Hero explained, then grinned triumphantly at Ganondorf. "Isn't that right, Your Majesty?"

"He had you behind the throne," Ganondorf rumbled. Link's eyes danced as he bowed in defiant acknowledgment. "So you're the boy Kotake fears so much."

"Kotake?" Link scowled. "That evil old sorceress is still around?"

"Still going strong at almost four hundred," Ganondorf said with a sly smile, and Link kicked himself roundly. _You haven't fought them yet, you idiot,_ Link swore at himself, Navi sighing at him from under his hat, _and you just told the King of Evil you know one of his moms. Brilliant._ He drew his Kokiri sword. Ganondorf laughed at him. "Very well. Today is yours." Shadows swirled around the Gerudo monarch and his two guards. "Tomorrow, however...tomorrow is MINE!" He laughed darkly as the three Gerudo vanished.

Daphnes exhaled. Link grimaced as he turned, trying not to let the awful smell get to him. _If I'd been just a little faster..._ he thought sadly, but Daphnes shook his head. "You saved more than one life today, my lad," he said wearily as he all but fell back into his throne. "You can't save everyone."

"I can try," Link replied evenly, sheathing his blade and bowing. "Your Majesty, I would like the help of whatever spellcasters and knights you can spare. I have a friend who's going to need my help." He waddled over halfway to Lenzo, but a courtier was already helping the Councillor up.

"You mean Nabooru, don't you, Brother?" Darunia asked. Link looked up in surprise. "I remembered everything when you called me the Sage of Fire. Useful, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, no kidding," Link said, sagging in relief. _It's nice to know I'm not alone._ He blinked. _Hey, wait a minute..._ He turned to Impa. "Did you..."

Impa regarded the Hero calmly. "You never asked."

"Hmph. Remind me to talk to Zelda about you." For a moment, Link thought he saw a smile in Impa's eyes, and several nobles laughed, King Nohansen among them. Link gasped and bowed to the king. "Forgive my familiarity, Your Majesty. It's just...I know these people. It's complicated."

"Matters involving the Temple of Time usually are," Daphnes replied with a friendly air. He grew serious again. "Go, then. Save your friend. Afterwards, however, I wish to speak with you at length." The king glanced at Impa. "You as well, old friend." The Sheikah nodded in a way that was as much a bow as any courtier's flourishing.

Darunia, two knights, a court wizard, and much to Link's surprise, Impa, came to stand next to him. "Everybody hold on," Link said as he pulled forth the Fairy Ocarina Saria had given him. "This is probably going to be ugly." He played the Requiem of Spirit, and the familiar swirling magic flowed around them. In seconds, they were gone.

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Zelda paced furiously in her chambers. _That does it. This time, I _am_ going to order her to train me in...in..._ The princess sat down at her desk and lowered her head. She'd threatened Impa with a royal command more than once. Impa always did the same thing: she smiled that tiny, secret little smile of hers and said, "You could do that, Your Highness, but then you would not have earned it."

Zelda very dearly wanted to earn her Sheikah training.

Idly, she picked up a quill and made her secret gesture, one even Impa didn't know, and summoned her diary. Another gesture caused the quill to call ink to its point from the inkwell, and she meticulously detailed the events of the past several days. _Nayru. I haven't written in my diary once since then._ Since Link.

_Who is he?_ She licked her lips, focusing on writing the facts first. That was how she wrote every entry, data first, analysis and emotion afterward. _Why is he so determined to protect me?_ For the first time, she was having a hard time of it; her emotions kept demanding her attention. _What is that...that _look_ in his eyes?_ Zelda forced herself to remain disciplined. _To analyze, to understand, one must first know what information one has...and what one lacks,_ she reminded herself. Zelda's pen obeyed her will, but her thoughts kept returning to Link, to his eyes. _Din Herself could not radiate more power._

Zelda stopped writing. She put the quill down, inhaled, exhaled. _Focus. Control. Mastery of self is the first mastery. All other mastery flows from..._ Forcing herself to be gentle, she placed the quill back in its case. She did not throw the quill or the case across the room, scream in epic frustration, or collapse on her desk crying. _Impa would never forgive herself. It was hard enough to convince her to go with Link when I didn't even know when he'd leave or where he was going._ She chuckled wryly. _Even I'm not sure how I knew he would need her._

_Oh. Of course. I'm worried._ Zelda frowned at the thought. Father always insisted that Darunia was one of the mightiest Goron warriors alive, with only the legendary Biggoron _(imaginative name,_ she thought uncharitably) being stronger. Impa was, of course, Impa. As for Link...Zelda licked her lips again. _Din burn me,_ she cursed at herself, gritting her teeth, and reached for her lip gloss. _Gods, how I hate makeup._ Carefully, she repaired the damage her nervous habit had done. _Normal_ children didn't have to wear voluminous pink dresses and apply powder to their faces. _Normal_ children didn't have spend their days learning courtly grace and courtly intrigue.

_And normal children don't have to fight the most powerful wizard in a thousand years._ Zelda carefully placed the beeswax cylinder back in its box and meticulously cleaned her hands of the residue. She knew full well that normal children had to worry about the crops coming in, and raiders attacking while the army was on a different border, and bullies and weather and a thousand other troubles great and small Zelda would never have to concern herself with. It wasn't herself she was upset over. _He knows the Three Spells. He's triumphed over undead monsters, giant dodongos and evil parasites that laid low even the earthly gods._ She noticed her hands trembling and forced them to still themselves. _Link - will - be - fine!_

Finally, Zelda threw up her hands, stood, and paced again. "Fine! I'm upset! I'm _allowed_ to be once in a while!" she blurted, storming across her room. _Not to mention guilty,_ some corner of her mind added. Never mind that it had been another Zelda in another time that had led Link down his particular road, that Ganondorf's lust for power was the true force behind their troubles, and that even if the notion of a ten year old princess traveling to the Gerudo Desert was _not_ insanity, Impa and Link would have gone mad worrying over her. In defiance of all good sense, Zelda still felt responsible for the danger the Kokiri-raised child was facing.

"Your Highness?" Sir Senza asked in his gentle voice, question coming in time with a gentle knock. "Are you all right, Little Princess?"

"Oh, yeah, Senza, she's fine," Zuko replied caustically. "That's why she's yelling at the top of her lungs while she's alone in her room."

"No, it's okay, really," she called back quickly. "I'm just a little worried, that's all." The two knights murmured something resembling an acknowledgment and returned to their quiet chatter. Zelda could have listened with a little effort, but as always, preferred to leave them their privacy.

There was a muffled explosion and a puff of smoke, and Impa appeared in her room, new lines etched in her face. "Zelda?" she called.

Zelda 'tched' at Impa and guided the Sheikah firmly to a chair. "For the love of Nayru, Impa, the only thing I've had to worry about is you lot," she said in exasperation. "Is everyone all right?"

Impa smiled faintly and nodded. "Your Link is a living whirlwind, you know."

"He's not 'my' Link," Zelda insisted. "If the remaining Sage is safe, then his work is done." She looked up at Impa, eyes wavering. "The Sage of Spirit _is_ safe, isn't she?"

Impa snorted. "Yes, though not through any fault of her own. Apparently, the stubborn fool woman would rather have been captured by the twin sorceresses than 'abandon' her people." Zelda's bodyguard shook her head. "I was considering taking her myself when Kotake solved the problem for me by binding her in bands of ice. Link distracted Kotake with a Deku Nut flash, Darunia gathered Nabooru under one arm, I introduced Koume to a dozen or so of my knives, and we all fled back to the Temple of Time thanks to the boy's miraculous Ocarina."

Zelda dropped herself into her chair in relief. "Everyone's okay, then?"

Impa nodded, pulling a flask from fairy space and taking a long draught. "We were lucky. That, and we had the boy with us. Rusl suffered some minor burns, but Link threw himself between the knight and Koume's second blast. Summoned the Mirror Shield to his back, which just happened to redirect the blast at Kotake."

Zelda grinned in spite of herself. "Yes, of course. Pure luck. Had to be."

"You needn't worry about him, Zelda," Impa said quietly. Zelda kept her face as still as she could, but she felt her eyebrows go up all the same. "If you had not stated outright that the boy was Hylian, I would have believed him the Kokiri champion, perhaps blessed by the Great Deku Tree himself."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he _was_ blessed by the Great Deku, Impa," Zelda replied, looking at her hands in her lap, "and I don't think I could stop worrying about him if I was the Sage of Time herself-"

The world seemed to slow down. Impa's eyes widened, and Zelda's protector started to rise from her chair, but with each passing moment her movements were as through an ever-thickening bog. A ghostly mist began to rise around Zelda, but as the princess rose in alarm, the mist solidified into what looked like mirrors, and the world fell away to reveal an endless blue sky decorated with gentle white clouds. Each 'mirror' - Zelda realized there were seven - glowed gently in a different color, save for the last (how did she know that?), which shone with a pure white light.

Seven years. Seven Sages. Seven Temples. That was not coincidence, either.

Each mirror flickered with images of a year lost. The first, the golden mirror of Light, showed her a white horse tearing across Hyrule Field, Castle Town dwindling behind it...a blue jewel disappearing behind the two riders...a boy, gone as quickly as she had seen him..._Link,_ Zelda realized, _that was Link. And I was..._ Zelda's eyes went wide as the full moon. _...I was running away..._

The mirrors flickered by, each summoning disjointed years of flight, training and privation. Each vision left behind a memory, this one of mastering a Sheikah technique, that one of living on apples and rabbit. Most relentless, however, were the first and last mirrors: Light and Time. Each flash of memory from the Light mirror showed her plotting against Ganondorf and failing, trying to guide Link, instead driving him to the Temple of Time and...

The Time mirror was worse. Her older self watched Link from the shadows, using Sheikah skill and magic to remain invisible except when she appeared to him as 'Sheik,' ever mysterious, never more than a shadow of a friend. _How could she?_ Zelda tried to look away, but as in a dream, her body was not her own. _How could I!_ At last, she revealed herself to Link in the Temple of Time, the one place she should have been safe...but she hadn't been. Ganondorf _captured_ her, _used_ her against the Hero of Time - _her_ Hero! - and all she was able to do was get him out after he'd done all the heavy lifting. (She'd even needed him to rescue her from a circle of flames. _Brilliant,_ Zelda thought sarcastically.) The only thing she'd done worth doing - aside from the most basic part of her job in sealing Ganon away - was sending him back home, to his own time, but now, looking at the memory, she wasn't sure Link had wanted to leave.

Hyrule returned. The mirrors vanished. Impa was a blur, catching Zelda by the arms before she could fall back into her chair. "Zelda! My child!" As the princess' vision cleared fully, she realized the Sheikah was in a panic - in all her life, she'd never seen Impa look so frightened. It had been only once in that other life she'd seen that expression, in the instant before Impa had rescued her, spiriting her away from beneath Ganondorf's very nose. "Speak to me!"

"I'm...I'm all right, Impa," Zelda said, swallowing. "Please let me sit." Impa's face smoothed instantly as she helped Zelda into her chair. The princess shuddered briefly, forcing the memories to settle in her mind. She couldn't experience them all at once, and there was still an unreal quality to them, but she was certain that in time, at least some of those memories would be as if she had lived them. "We...we can't let that happen again," she whispered. "We can _not."_

"Nor will we," Impa agreed. "For now, however, you must rest. Even I required hours of meditation to force my mind to stillness, and-"

"Zelda!" Link shouted. Several guards were making unintelligible sounds as she heard the young forest warrior charge toward her door. She could sense Senza and Zuko readying themselves as well.

Zelda smiled faintly. "I will rest momentarily. First, however, I think I must calm my Hero." Her smile strengthened into a satisfied grin as she stood. "And then, Impa, we shall speak of Sheikah training." She ignored Impa's sigh. _I know, I know, the 'sacred age of twelve,' numerologically returning to three. Except I already have the training up here, don't I?_

Her smile faded into a mask of determination as she approached the door. If she understood what she heard, the knights were becoming more agitated. Zuko's mail clinked almost musically, the energetic figure no doubt bouncing in place. Link was getting closer. _Nothing really will stop you, will it?_ The determination grew more implacable with each step she took. _Well, this time, my Hero, you will not have to fight alone. I swear it._


	3. Interlude One: Before the Arbiter

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Interlude One: Before the Arbiter**

I watch.

The Hero of Time, though precious few know his real worth even now, returns to the Kokiri Forest, receiving a Hero's welcome from his one-time people. Mido, the closest thing the Kokiri have to an official leader, remains suspicious of the Hero, but Link - and their true heart, Saria - will soon put an end to that. The lad carries the Spiritual Stone of the Forest with a grim, determined air, and I believe he may actually know what to do with it. Surprising even me, he leads a young Epona, the steed having grown enough in the passing weeks to carry the boy.

One day soon, I will have to withdraw myself from emotion. Soon, I will become the Arbiter, chosen by the Gods to give birth to the fortress which shall determine the fate of Hyrule for centuries to come. Soon, I will have to give the King of Evil as much opportunity as the Hero and Sage of Time. When that day comes, I must be without favor, lest a far more terrible fate befall this world than even the reign of the Mandrag Heir.

I have a little time yet, though. Gods be good, just a little more time, please. How could I have come to care for this Hylian boy so quickly?

My question is folly. He is _worthy_ to be the Hero of Time, as he proves with each act of kindness, of charity, of courage. I was not at all surprised when the Hero sought me out, as he did so many others he knew before. Clearly, he has been to Lon Lon Ranch. I watched him go to Kakariko, and naturally I met him in a familiar place. He smiled to see me, though Navi had a few choice words to say. It was all fond, even the complaints of his boisterous fairy. I hated feigning ignorance with him, though I hate my true ignorance more. In spite of my passable body of lore, I haven't the least memory of my identity before I became...as I am. And now, I face becoming something even more different. All I know is that I agreed to this, and that it was worth the price. The gods are merciful, I know, whenever they can be.

Already, the great Shield of Hyrule sits less uncomfortably on his back. When the boy is able to heft it unaided, he will vanish to the other world, drawn by the capture of his beloved fairy partner. Then, I will be as I am no more. As the Arbiter, I can only build and judge, though my faith is enough that I will trust the gods, even in this. Until then, I will do all I can for him. Gods be good, just a little more time...

I see the Skull Kid with his twin fairies in the distance. The gods have been as kind as they could afford to be with me. Tomorrow, the princess will entrust the Ocarina of Time to the Hero. After that...a few weeks, a month at most. He must be growing quickly. So I do the only things I can. I prepare myself, and I pray that I have made the right choice. Gods help us all.


	4. Part 1, Ch 2: Eleven: Respite

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Two: Eleven - Respite**

Link played what he called 'Epona's Song,' happily keeping his Ocarina in time with Malon's singing. The song's magnificent namesake raced around the ranch, bringing the herd through the gate without need of any more help than the music. Talon bobbed happily as well, directing his beloved cuccos back to their nests to the beat. Every once in a while, he scooped up an egg with uncharacteristic grace. _(So that's how he earns his keep around here,_ Link thought, eyes sparkling.) Navi danced happily around him, bobbing in perfect time. Even Ingo was smiling - a little - and tossing hay to the rhythm.

_This is the life._ Malon picked up the pace, and Link kept up effortlessly. They'd been at this for a while now, Link guessing from the sun's progress it had been half an hour. All the same, Link wasn't in any hurry to stop. That, of course, meant it was time for Malon to wrap up their jam session, which she did with a touch of a coda. Link trailed off afterwards, then stood slowly with a long, languorous stretch. Malon grinned with friendly mischief. "Okay, that's enough lollygagging, fairy boy," she teased.

"Lollygagging?" Link objected with feigned shock. "We brought in the herd, sped up Ingo, and even got your dad to do some work - HEY!" he blurted, dodging a thrown cucco. Navi dove into his hat with a shriek and a peal of laughter as the Hero grabbed another cucco and returned fire. Neither of the children could quite stop laughing long enough to steady their aim, though, leaving in their wake a slow rain of feathers, a handful of outraged cuccos, and two winded musicians.

"You realize," Malon noted once she'd regained her breath, "we got four cuccos to round up now."

"Three," Link replied. "One followed your dad back as soon as it got out of your range." He grinned at the sound of Navi snoring. _Honestly, that fairy could sleep through Ganon's Tower collapsing. Y'know, I'm starting to like being a kid again._

"MY range?" Malon blurted, sitting up instantly. "You threw two cuccos for my one!"

"Only because you were spending so much time cucco-gliding," Link said saucily.

Malon gaped at him for another few seconds, then they laughed again. "You are so weird, fairy boy!" She grinned at him. "I think that's why I like you." Still chuckling, she started nudging cuccos after her father. "Like the first couple of times we met."

"Uh..." Link shuffled his feet. _Uh-oh._

The rancher winked at him. "Sneaking into the palace like that. I figured you were up to something, but you helped wake up my dad anyway, so I knew you had to be nice." She shook her head. "Then when you came by the ranch that first time, it was like you didn't know if I remembered you! And you knew the place better than Ingo!"

"Don't let him hear you say that," Link replied, trying to keep his voice light. "You know how touchy Ingo can be." _And he'd better stop at touchy. I'm glad I got sent back after I met Malon, though. I feel more...connected, I guess, this way. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to talk with Ingo._ His good humor returned, and his smile strengthened. _I don't think he'll try anything with the ranch this time around._

"Yeah," Malon said, rubbing the back of her head. "Funny, though, Ingo's always kinda skittish around you, like a colt around a wolf."

Link grinned. "I can't imagine why." They glanced at Ingo, who immediately vanished into the storage room. _Well, it's not imagining if I _know_ why, is it?_ They laughed again.

"Okay, okay, seriously," she said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, "we got a delivery for you." The ranch mistress grinned at him. "Since you're so all-fired stubborn about 'earning your keep.' I guess saving kings and protecting princesses don't pay too well."

"Malon..." Link's own smile slipped. _Why does she always have to do this?_ "I can't take money for that. It...it wouldn't be right."

"Whatever," she said with a shrug, still grinning. "Works out pretty nice for us. Epona's the fastest horse in Hyrule, and she won't take no other rider but you." She got up and headed for the stables. "It so happens that your delivery is for the Castle. That's another advantage to having a big shot Hero working for us - no worries about guards holding you up for a week."

Link nodded. The run to Hyrule Castle was becoming almost routine. "What's the package this time? You told off the idiot who wanted Epona to carry that big metal chest, right?"

Malon's eyes narrowed for a moment. "You bet." Then they flickered to Link, her expression becoming more amused and sly. "This one's nice and small. A present for the royal family."

"That's fine, I guess..." Link grimaced. _Malon's really milking this one._ He winced, remembering the cow she'd gotten into his house - again. Even Saria still wouldn't tell him how they did it. _'Let a girl have her secrets.' Pheh._ "Any idea who it's from?"

"Yeah, some country called Altea. They want to get a jump on the whole suitor thing." Malon busied herself with brushing one of the horses.

Link's mind locked up. _A suitor? ALREADY? Din, Nayru and Farore, she's only eleven!_ He briefly considered playing it cool, then dropped the notion immediately as absurd. Not only was he never going to pull it off, this was Malon he was talking with. "Isn't that a bit...premature?"

"Pre...you mean early? Some days, fairy boy, I think you got hit with a dictionary as a baby," Malon quipped.

"When I was ten, actually," Link retorted with a chuckle. His good humor vanished when he remembered Altea. "How far is it?"

"Oh, the package is already here," Malon replied innocently. "They thought it'd help if the big-shot Hero delivered it himself."

_I'm going to kill her,_ Link thought in annoyance. "I take it Altea's not far?" he asked as casually as he could manage.

"Not far north of the Gerudo desert, just across the mountains from Castle Town, really," Malon explained smoothly. "Of course, those mountains are crazy to get across. Much easier to go through the valley. A Gerudo in white and _pink,_ believe it or not, brought the package here. Thought it was real funny," the ranch girl finished with a giggle.

"Yeah, Nabooru's sense of humor's...really something," Link said dryly. "Where's the package?"

Malon gestured with her head for Link to follow, then led him to the ranch house. Going behind the desk and shooing the cucoos, she pulled out a long, fairly thin box wrapped in some glittery substance that looked more like metal than cloth. It reminded Link a little of paper, but why someone would wrap a present in paper was beyond him.

The young Hero scowled slightly. _What in the name of the gods did they send her?_ Suddenly suspicious, he whipped out the Lens of Truth. "Link!" Malon objected immediately.

"I just want to make sure it's safe," Link replied, peering at the package. "Huh." He glanced at Malon, who had folded her arms and was impatiently tapping her foot. "It's a sword."

"Well, good," Malon said darkly. "It means they're showing Princess Zelda some respect. What gives you the right-"

"I've been charged with the princess' safety by Impa and the king himself," Link shot back hotly. "It's my duty." He glanced back at the package, an image appearing in the back of his mind suddenly. He saw a small flat stone that matched the image. "And I'm glad I did it. There's something else in here."

Malon's thunderous expression melted like morning mist. "There - there is?"

Link frowned. "It looks like a warp stone, like the ones at each of the temples. I bring this into the castle, you could get half a dozen assassins in before anyone knew what was happening."

"But...but Altea's friendly with Hyrule." Malon looked up at Link. "Isn't it?"

Link shrugged. "Hey, you're the one who knows where they are." He glanced back at the package again as he replaced the Lens, watching it as warily as he would a Wasteland rattler. "It could be innocent. I'll ask for Impa at the gate." He grinned, and Malon's eyes went wide. "If the Alteans have a surprise planned for Zelda, we'll set up a little surprise of our own."

"You're scary sometimes, you know that, fairy boy?" Malon asked quietly. Link glanced at her in confusion for a moment, then looked away, grin vanishing.

"Part of the job, I guess," he replied softly.

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"Din burn me!" Impa swore as she thrust past soldiers. Sir Ashei gaped at her as the Sheikah rushed past - Impa couldn't remember the last time she'd used such an oath - but for once, she didn't care.

Link had requested her presence at the town gate. He had a package he wanted her to examine. The guards had reported to her that the pup had been calm and polite. Apparently, they weren't alarmed. Impa mercilessly throttled a desire to thump every last one of them on their gods-forsaken helmets. _Link is refusing to enter the castle with a package, and not one of them finds that cause for alarm? Peace has made them soft._ She shuddered to think what Hyrule's warriors would be like after a century of this.

On the other hand, she doubted Ganondorf was that patient. _Though he has been patient enough to wait in his accursed desert for over a year._ That worried her. Hyrule had time to plan, surely, to prepare its defenses, but they were operating blind. Nabooru had left a few Gerudo loyal to her behind in Ganondorf's camp; the heads of all save one had been sent back to the Sage of Spirit, looks of utter terror on their faces. Impa had seen more horrors in her time than most entire nations did in three generations, but the Gerudo King worried her like no enemy before. _Zelda is all I have left,_ she thought, amazed at her own calm when she considered what little future remained to her ancient tribe. _I will not let the Gerudo harm her again._

Once she was close enough to clearly see the agitated pup handling the box as if it held a poisonous serpent, Impa performed the necessary kuji-in and warped across space. While not as powerful as Farore's Wind, it was far quicker and easier to use - once mastered. Link jumped a bit when she appeared beside him. Navi squealed and dove beneath his hat. "Do you _have_ to do that?" he blurted, the tiny fairy peeking out nervously. Link's eyes flickered up briefly, and his companion disappeared again.

Impa did not smile. She had spent over a century mastering her self-expression. Nevertheless, the boy's reaction elicited that now-familiar feeling of a smile forming in her heart. "It was more efficient. At eleven, it is unlikely that you will suffer any detriment to your health from your heart beating more quickly." Link scowled at her, and the Sheikah had the distinct impression that the boy was swallowing an expression as well, namely the urge to stick out his tongue. "What have you found?" she asked. Humor had its place and time, and that time had passed quickly.

Link became serious immediately. "See for yourself," he said, holding the Lens out for her.

"Hm." Impa regarded the pup for a moment. It was time to trust him a little more. "I do not need it. The Lens is - was - a Sheikah training tool. It is useful for the young, and for Heroes in great need of course, but the Eye of Truth is the true art." She touched the legendary Sheikah Eye below her neck as Link's real eyes widened. "It is the pinnacle of Sheikah focus - the power to see through all illusion and deception and know Truth." She regarded her charge's Hero carefully. "Perhaps, if we have time, I will teach you one day." Link simply nodded and held the package out to her.

Impa took the box and focused, opening the Eye of the Brow. There was an exquisite, slender sword inside, its crossguard plated in gold and hilt wrapped in royal purple silk. _A magnificent gift, indeed,_ she thought coolly. _Now where is the suspect...ah._ Truth revealed the stone and its purpose to her, though what the Alteans intended with it, she could not say. The magic was Altean, making it unlikely that Ganondorf had placed it, but it seemed an odd thing to include if their intentions were noble. "Come," she said simply, walking across the drawbridge into the city.

Link followed obediently, if clearly with some confusion. "Um, Miss Impa, is this a good idea?"

Impa did allow herself a smile this time, cool and sharp. "Fear not, pup. I know a place to open this with safety. Rest assured that the princess will not be the one receiving the unpleasant surprise." Link smiled back, his own expression almost wolfish in its predatory gleam. _You do have charm,_ Impa added to herself. _I wonder if your talent for seeping into the hearts of others is born of your status as Hero, or one of the reasons you were Chosen._

She sighed inwardly, though her self-control remained; no trace of the emotion reached the surface. _It seems that my own heart is not as impervious as I thought. You seep well, pup._ Her own son would have been barely a year older than Link...

_No._ A flicker of will, and the Sheikah brought all wandering thoughts to heel. Impa came up to the vines that Link still used to bypass the gate - she had long since sealed that gap in the castle's defenses, but those she had hand-picked to watch the route had specific instructions to let Link pass - and took three steps to the right of them. There, she performed another Sheikah hand gesture. The familiar opening appeared before them. Link gaped. "Gods! Eight years, and I had no idea..."

"Hush," Impa replied quietly. "It was not eight years for you, it would have done you no good with the castle grounds shattered, and even the Lens does not reveal simple trickery." She glanced down at him. "Sheikah craftsmanship is particularly resistant to such methods."

Link nodded. "Yeah, I'll bet," he whispered. "Is this how you and Zelda escaped?" Impa nodded as she led the boy forward. He examined the passage with a strange air as the entry sealed behind them. _It's almost as if he's...grateful to it._ The notion was absurd, of course.

"There are more passageways down here than merely a secret castle entrance, of course," Impa explained. "Once, the Sheikah used these tunnels to protect the castle and Nohansen family." She turned right. Link hesitated, clearly aware that she was moving away from the castle, but quickly caught up. "Good lad. Stay close." Link obeyed as they threaded through what, to the boy, must have been a maze to rival the temples Ganondorf had twisted. Finally, they came to the room Impa sought. She stepped in and gestured for Link to do the same. He obeyed immediately. Impa performed the same kuji-in she'd used to open the passage, and the chamber door closed. "Now." She placed the package on the bare wooden table, the room's only furnishing aside from small torches enchanted to burn eternally. "Let us see what the Alteans have in mind."

Link frowned. "I don't mean to doubt you, Impa, but there's only the two of us. If it is an invasion force..."

"Then we teleport outside." Impa's eyes glittered like the heads of Ice Arrows. "They will find that their magics are not as effective as ours once they arrive." She tore the wrapping perfunctorily and opened the box. When nothing happened, she snorted faintly, then tossed the stone to the ground, sure to leave enough room around it for a person to appear. Link nonchalantly placed his hand on his sword hilt. Navi reappeared, hovering above his head.

There was a whuff of air displacement, and a handsome boy clad almost entirely in blue appeared. He was about three years older than Link, at Impa's guess, with hair almost the same color as his garb. His ears were stubby and round, even shorter than a Gerudo's, and he wore a long saber-like blade that was designed to be used either one- or two-handed. He was smiling with quiet triumph when he appeared, but the look vanished quickly at the sight of the Sheikah glowering at him, arms folded, and the 'Kokiri' boy holding his sword hilt. Navi shot into place above the youth's head, glowing yellow ferociously. The boy very slowly and very carefully raised his hands above his head. Again he smiled, but it was a weak, nervous thing this time. "I surrender?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Impa drawled, allowing the slightest tinge of amusement to creep into her voice. "You do."

Link huffed and released his sword. "You're the suitor, aren't you?" Navi returned to Link's shoulder, her color flickering back to normal, but Impa could tell that she was watching the newcomer like a falcon.

The boy nodded slowly. "I am Marth il'Anri, Crown Prince of Altea. I was hoping to impress the royal family with our nation's cunning and magical talent." He chuckled. "I take it that I have failed rather miserably on that count."

"You will find that deception will not impress the princess in the least," Impa replied coolly, eyes still locked on the supposed prince's.

"Oh, I'm not really trying to woo an eleven year old girl," Marth objected quickly, waving his hands in denial. Impa was not surprised to hear Link release a tiny exhalation of relief. "This is really more of a diplomatic mission than anything else." He glanced wryly at his arms, then back at Impa. "May I lower my hands, Lady Sheikah?"

Impa regarded him briefly, and Link's attention returned to the princeling, redoubled. "You may," she replied, and Marth let his hands drop in palpable relief. "You are well informed. Sheikah are rather scarcer than we were, and we were never common."

"Actually," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in a very Link-like manner, "your fame has spread a fair amount, my lady, albeit primarily by catenative assemblage."

The young Hero blinked. "By primary assembly of what?" he asked.

Marth cleared his throat nervously. "Her connection to you, Master Link," he said, and Link's eyes went wide. The Hero blushed furiously, and this time Impa let her tiny smile show. "Your exploits across Hyrule and in the strange Realm of Termina are renowned throughout the continent. You defeated Ganondorf's monsters, saved the High King of Hyrule from the villain himself, then resurrected the forest god Deku."

Link shook his head sadly. "Not resurrected. I, well, I planted the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, kind of like a seed, and...there's a Great Deku Sprout now. He's good and kind, and his powers have renewed the Kokiri, but he's the Great Deku Tree's heir, not the Tree himself."

Marth lowered his head briefly. "You have my sympathies, Hero." He looked up again, expression smoothing over. "More recently, according to the tales, you destroyed the legendary demon-god Majora while questing for your diminutive friend." He nodded a bow to Navi.

The fairy's gaze did not waver in the least. "He rescued me from a stubbly little lunatic who..." She grimaced. "He locked me in a cold iron cage. You don't want to know the rest." Navi landed on Link's shoulder, gave his neck a grateful caress with her microscopic hand, then glared at Marth again. "He went through a nightmare of warped Time I can't even begin to describe to save me and Termina. What was three days for the rest of us was more like three months for him. So trust me, Your Highness, you don't know a tenth of it."

"I will take your word for it, fair Navi," Marth said, bowing to her, "yet even the tenth we know from the minstrels' tales is heroic enough."

Link glanced at his azure companion. "Gee, I wonder how those got started," he said wryly. Impa sensed the fairy smiling with faux-innocence. _Indeed._

"However they did," the prince said with a friendly air, "I daresay you've become a legend yourself."

"Me?" Link squeaked. "A legend?"

"Indeed. In fact, I was hoping you would return with me to Altea after my, ah, 'suiting' was complete. Ganondorf has retreated to his desert stronghold for the moment, and my nation is facing some danger of its own." Marth's eyes went distant, and he looked away. "Our neighbor, Dolua, is preparing for war, and I believe they mean to invade. Our agents fear they might even intend to resurrect the terrible dragon Medeus."

Impa hissed through an intake of breath. _Medeus. The Black Hand of Mandrag. Gods be good._ Link glanced between Marth and Impa, then back. "Of course I'll help," he replied immediately. The Sheikah had to actually apply her will to suppress a groan. _Reckless boy!_ she thought with exasperation, but neither could she deny the pride that swelled within her. "On one condition, though - next time, use the front door, okay?"

Marth gaped at the Hero. Then he laughed. "Agreed, my friend."

The last Sheikah shook her head. "Come. We must find the princess." She gestured, and a Sheikah headband appeared. "You," she said forcefully to Marth, "will remain blindfolded until I say otherwise. Once we are in the castle proper, I will present you to the royal family. There, you can present your gift and explain your plight to the king. The princess will speak with you later."

Marth's eyes flickered from Impa to Link. "I see," he said simply.

The Hero raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Come," Impa repeated. _Thank Nayru for the boy's innocence._ Facing away from the pair, she could both perform the gesture secretly and permit herself a more genuine smile. _I will have to teach Link this secret._

"What?" Link insisted. Marth chuckled softly, though it seemed fond enough. Navi's giggles rang like tiny bells as she flew back into the Hero's distinctive cap. "What! Someone tell me what's going on!"

"I do not think," Marth said quietly as the door opened, "that you want to know." Link grumbled to himself in annoyance, repacking the box _sans_ stone, while Impa turned to the young prince. Marth accepted the blindfold without resistance.

_Well, no one ever said that service to the royal family would be a simple task._

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"You're famous!" Zelda exulted, beaming. To Link, her smile was brighter than the sunlight streaming through the stained glass window. A nearby door beckoned to the fields just outside.

_That's it. I'm going to be stuck like this,_ Link thought as his blush deepened, embarrassed beyond words. _When they make a Link mask, it'll just be solid red with eye holes._ "It's no big deal, really," he replied in almost a whisper.

"No big deal?" Zelda asked incredulously, an impish grin glowing at him. "A prince came to ask you to save his kingdom! I think that's a pretty big deal!" The grin vanished. "You are going to be careful, right?"

It was as if she'd handed him the grin. "Don't worry, Zel. This won't be my first dragon by a long shot." He gestured, and the Megaton Hammer appeared in his hands. He staggered for a moment, then stood upright. "It's still a little big, but I'll manage. And," he added, eyes flickering, "if it gets really bad...I guess I have the Fierce Deity Mask."

Zelda's smile returned, this time kind and encouraging. "You can handle that mask. I know you can." All at once, she grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the door. "I've made a royal decision. We're done worrying for the day."

"Wh-wha-Zelda-" Link stammered as he allowed her to tow him outside. The sky was crystal blue in its clarity, Din's radiance shining on Hyrule with the sun at its zenith. Butterflies flitted from flower to flower, and the guards stood stoically around the field, nearly as still as the trees.

"Sh," Zelda insisted gently. Link went still. "Listen."

Shoving unfair thoughts of the sleeping Navi into the back of his mind, Link obeyed, leaning forward and cocking his head to one side slightly. "I hear the wind. Birds. Castle Town at midday."

"That's right," Zelda said, smile growing. "No rampaging giants, no damsels being distressed, no Stalchildren climbing out of the ground or Moblins marching or Poes haunting the skies." The princess winked. "Not even Lenzo chasing you to get his hands on your Hover Boots."

"Well, I did lend them to him for his experim-" Link began.

"Hush," Zelda insisted. The Hero obeyed with a small, indulgent grin. "Now." She folded her hands in front of her and gazed at him warmly. "Do you have a Deku Stick?"

"A what?" Link asked, flabbergasted. _Those eyes..._

"A Deku...Stick," Zelda repeated slowly, the eyes in question sparkling with glee. "You know, like the ones you carry around all the time? My best friend told me they're easy to find in the Kokiri Forest."

Link's throat seized up. _Her best friend..._ "Wow. I mean..." He shook his head quickly, then obediently summoned a Deku Stick from his fairy pouch. "Okay."

Zelda gently directed him to a small patch of flowers. Two butterflies fluttered around them. "Now hold very still." She put her hands on his arms, helping him carefully lower the stick. Then she let go, standing there by his side and waiting.

One of the butterflies fluttered around the pair, then flew around the Deku Stick, landing at its tip. As Link watched in amazement, a swirl of golden light swallowed both the butterfly and the stick, leaving a large fairy hovering before them, her impressive glow obscuring even her wings. "wow," he whispered.

Zelda's smile was as bright as the sun again, with a faint air of cream on her metaphorical whiskers. "Uh-huh." Then she raced to the slope, laughing as she jumped over and slid down it on her royal dress. "Can't catch me!" she laughed.

"Wh-ZELDA!" Link cried, chasing after her. The moment's panic vanished, though, when he realized the only danger she was in was from her father scolding her over the dress. _What the heck._ He laughed and slid after her, giving chase. "No one escapes the mighty Link, vanquisher of-" Link gaped as he flew past the edge of the slope, beginning an unintended arc over the path. Zelda was leaning against the hillside, arms folded and smiling serenely up at him. "WAAAAAH!" he cried (as he always did when he fell), then landed with a meaty thump on the opposite side of the path from the princess. Navi burst from his hat, spinning around dizzily and darting from side to side to look for danger.

Zelda waved to them with a relaxed, friendly air. Then she darted up the path, laughing musically. "Don't just sit there!" Navi shouted, appearing over Zelda with a deeper blue glow. "After her!"

"No fair!" Zelda gasped between laughs. Link grinned and gave chase. The guards sighed and smiled indulgently as the two children giggled madly and raced through the flowers, between trees, and around the soldiers.

_It's good to be alive,_ Link decided.


	5. Part 1, Ch 3: Twelve: Forest

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Three: Twelve - Forest**

Link hefted the Fairy Bow experimentally. He drew an arrow, aimed, and let loose.

The twins laughed and clapped. Mido leaned against the tree and scowled. Saria ruffled the hair of the Kokiri 'boss,' then walked over to Link and peered at his target, a normal bull's eye. He had struck it dead center.

"Don't see what's wrong with a good old Fairy Slingshot," Mido muttered.

"I can't use Light magic with Deku seeds," Link replied quietly, looking away. "I'm going to need this when I face Ganondorf."

"Don't pay any attention to him, Link," Saria broke in soothingly, reaching up to place her hand on his shoulder. "We understand."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that!" Mido objected, waddling over to the pair. "I mean, who decided that you can enchant arrows but not seeds?"

At that, Link looked down at Mido and grinned. "Hey, it's not that bad. Even the dreaded Ganon isn't immune to a good ol' Deku Nut to the face."

Mido brightened at that. "Really?" He grinned. "Take that, Mr. big-shot King of Evil!" A moment later, he was pacing, one hand on his chin. "Huh. We should probably start holding on to Deku Nuts, then...what's that fancy word of yours, Link? Store-piling?"

"Stockpiling," Link replied, nodding seriously. "Good idea. Farore willing, though, Ganondorf will never come within ten miles of these woods." _Farore, please,_ he prayed mentally.

"Yeah, but better safe than sorry," Mido muttered, this time more to himself than anything else. Then, realizing the attention he was receiving from most of the Kokiri, he pulled himself up importantly, his head almost reaching Link's shoulder. "I have to think of these things. I am the Great Mido, after all."

"Absolutely, boss," Link quipped, smiling again.

Mido looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Watch the lip, Scrub Boy," he said, albeit without heat. "You and Saria go check out the temple. I wanna talk to the shop owner about those Deku Nuts."

"Yes, sir," Link and Saria said as one, then walked off as one of the Know-It-All Brothers followed Mido towards the store.

Saria hugged Link suddenly. "I'm so happy for you," she whispered.

Link wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Thanks, Saria." He shook his head in amazement. "Mido, actually acting like...like a leader," he said softly. "I never thought I'd live to see the day."

"I did," Saria replied , resting her head on his ribs. "It's funny. Ganondorf's caused so much pain, but in some ways he's been good for Hyrule."

Link's eyes bulged. "What? That monster?"

Saria nodded. "Look at all the people he's brought together. Gorons and Zoras, the different Hylians, even some of the Deku Scrubs are starting to act decent." She smiled up at him. "And then there's you and Mido."

"Hey, I never wanted trouble with Mido," Link replied defensively as they entered the Lost Woods, the long hollow log opening into the maze they knew by heart.

Again Saria nodded, this time a bit sadly. "I know, Link. I know." She released him, then poked his hat gently.

Navi spiraled out. "Hey! What's the big idea - oh, hi, Saria!" she said brightly.

"Navi," Saria said with a slight wave. Saria's own fairy flew over to Navi, and they both began to change colors with impressive speed.

"So," Link said brightly as they approached the Sacred Forest. "Why is Mido, of all people, sending you and me, alone, to the Temple?"

"He knows he can trust us," Saria replied evasively as she let Link help her up the ladder. Link knew she could more than manage herself, but at his current size, it was faster this way.

"That's not what I meant," Link said softly. Saria paused at the wall's edge. "Is something wrong, Saria?"

"We...don't know," she said slowly, looking worriedly across the ancient meadow-maze. "There's a strange feeling around the Forest Temple. A familiar feeling." The Forest Sage frowned slightly. "It feels...wrong."

Link gripped his Gilded Sword. "Thank the gods I can finally use the Fairy Bow. That Terminan bow's good, but it's just not the same." _Not to mention kind of small,_ he thought wryly. "If Ganondorf is moving...I don't have the Master Sword, Saria." _I don't _want_ the Master Sword._

A cool wind blew around them. Saria rubbed Link's back with a tiny hand. "Then it's a good thing you can make Light Arrows. We will deal with the Gerudo King when the time comes." She smiled up at him. "I'm sure we'll be fine, Link." They reached the Temple entrance, Link looking up and rubbing the tips of his left hand's fingers with his thumb. The Hookshot itched to be summoned. "See?" Saria gestured at the Temple. "Everything's fine."

"I wonder." Link concentrated, closing his eyes. _Come on...I can do this. Blood of Life, the fire, fluid and breath...the blessings of the goddesses in every heart...flow to the Eye and let me See._ He opened them again.

Everything looked the same. "Farore," he breathed. Saria clucked at him disapprovingly, but for once, he ignored her and pulled out the Lens of Truth. "Huh. Nothing."

Saria brightened. "See? I stopped feeling it just before we got to the clearing." The diminutive Sage winked at him. "I bet it's afraid of you."

"Hah!" Link snorted, smiling ironically. "Ganondorf's only ineligible for the Triforce of Courage because he doesn't know what fear _is."_ He looked up, expression fading to neutral. "On the other hand, who knows what time is to a phantom? Maybe it knows that I beat it once. Maybe the Light Arrows can disrupt its magic. Din knows it didn't like arrows the first time we fought."

"Well, we're not going to find out today." She patted Link's hand, her eyes filled with her smile. "Why don't you go check on Zelda? She's next on your route, isn't she?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck and grinned weakly. "I'm that transparent, huh?"

"You're watching out for us," Saria said fondly, standing on her stump and stroking his cheek, "and we all love you for it. Go on."

He watched Saria sit down to play, letting the beauty of her Ocarina's music wash over him for a moment. Then, reluctantly, he brought the Ocarina of Time to his own lips. _Something still doesn't feel right,_ he thought, but there was no question that the dark presence they'd sensed as they approached the Temple had fled. Even Phantom Ganon couldn't penetrate the Lost Woods easily, surely. He let the Prelude of Light flow through him, through the Ocarina, and the familiar swirl of power drew him between worlds.

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Zelda held herself upside down, but otherwise upright, on one hand. _Nayru, and I thought I was ready for this,_ she thought grimly, feeling her right arm trembling. Clad in only a familiar blue jumpsuit, lacking the wrappings or Sheikah tabard, the princess had a freedom of movement that she lacked almost entirely in her formal garb, but just this simple handstand was taxing her stamina. _I've only been at this for five minutes!_ She looked at the light-clock beside Impa. _Not even that, yet,_ she realized grimly. Ten more seconds for even this meager victory. Last time, at twelve, she'd been able to keep herself up for half an hour.

#Last time, little one, you had already spent two years running for your life,# Impa reminded her. "Time," she added aloud at the five minute mark.

"But-" Zelda began.

_"Time,"_ Impa repeated implacably. Zelda relented with far more relief than she wanted to admit, tumbling with some small grace to a sitting position. She rubbed her arm ruefully. "As much as you have been dancing, exercising and practicing acrobatics since Link's appearance, you are still a princess in this time and place." Impa gestured at the garden around them. "Even if you could shirk your other duties, which I know you would never do, the life of a royal heir is simply different from what you faced before."

"Easier, you mean," Zelda said reluctantly, looking at her still-trembling arm grimly. _Traitor,_ she thought at it with a tinge of sorrow.

"I said different," Impa insisted, eyes narrowing. "You have already proven invaluable in your advice to the royal court. Simply because a thing is not physically taxing does not mean it is easy."

"I know, Impa," Zelda sighed. She let the arm rest on her lap. "The Sheikah arts come so much more dearly, though, and they shouldn't. I know them, every one, in my heart." She took in her body wryly. "My body, on the other hand, seems to be another matter."

"If you are so familiar with the training," Impa said sternly, though not unkindly, "then you should remember that integral to becoming a true Sheikah is the union of body, mind and spirit." The bodyguard placed her hand on Zelda's still-trembling one. "I fear that your borrowed memories are in fact making your task more difficult, not easier." Impa's expression softened, and she looked a bit sad to Zelda. "Perhaps I should not have made you wait."

"No, I'm glad," Zelda replied quickly, placing her left hand on Impa's and smiling. "I was so frustrated at first, I know...but you gave me my childhood back. I can never thank you for that."

Impa smiled back. "My child, you just did."

"Hey!" Navi shouted.

Impa chuckled and stood, smoothing her face over. Zelda, meanwhile, gasped and stood, brushing herself off as much as she could. She tried to make her hair look decent, but in the end, all she could do was tie it back.

Link was holding his hat in both hands, the end flailing around like a bagged whirlwind. He opened it then and glared in. "What's the matter with you?" he whispered to the hat, but Zelda's stamina wasn't the only thing she'd improved during her training.

"I was just saying hi! What's the big deal? Farore!" Navi darted out and buzzed around him briefly, then landed heavily on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, okay?" she insisted.

"Just try to behave yourself, all right? We're guests here, and as nice as Zelda is to us, she _is_ the princess." Zelda distinctly heard the fairy give her Hero a raspberry, then Navi flew up to his head, folding her arms sullenly. Link sighed, then looked up, smiled apologetically, and waved. "Impa! Zelda! Hey there!" He settled the hat back on his head.

"Hi, Link!" Zelda jogged up, Impa falling in at her side. "You're early!"

Link rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. _Gods, he's so cute when he does that,_ Zelda thought, then was grateful for Sheikah mind training. It kept her from blushing. _Where in Nayru's name did that come from?_ He looked into her eyes, and his smile faded. "Just back from the Forest Temple," he said, barely avoiding a stammer. Then his eyes focused more deeply, and his voice steadied. "Saria sensed something dark there, but as we approached, it vanished."

Impa immediately stepped forward. "The first spirit of evil?" she asked, her body an arrow ready to fly.

Link folded his arms and looked towards the forest. _It's almost like watching Impa herself,_ Zelda thought, pride in her Hero welling in her. "I'm not sure. There was something...different about it. Weaker, but that's to be expected, with Ganondorf lacking the Triforce of Power." He looked at Zelda again, and her heart did flip-flops. That intensity he'd had when they first met was back, and it had grown, if that were at all possible. "I came here first, in case..."

Impa nodded. "Well chosen, pup." She looked around them with her expert eye, Link watching the Sheikah with a nearly equal, but very different, sort of focus. "We are safe here, for the moment. The mightiest mages in Hyrule have bolstered the castle's defenses. Also, I sense not even the slightest attempt at intrusion by the Dark Fire that is the source of Ganondorf's power."

"Dark Fire..." Link scowled. "Medeus said something about Dark Fire just before we shut him up."

Impa nodded. "You know how magic works. Some," she said, looking at Zelda proudly, and the princess suddenly felt ten feet tall, "have a natural talent for Light Force, or Shadow Force," she added, tapping her Eye, then looking back at Link, "but most wield mana through balancing the two. Like a water wheel, the flow of Light and Shadow moves mana through the world. What the foul witches have taught their king is a deliberate imbalance - the void that burns, the flame without light. Dark Fire."

"Mandrag's Maw," Zelda said, making the symbol of the Triforce over her heart with her left hand.

"You'll have to tell me about this Mandrag some time," Link said, smiling suddenly. Zelda blinked in astonishment. "Well, as long as Ganondorf's the one with this power, he's the one I'm worried about."

Impa sighed and sat in the grass. Zelda was sure Link didn't notice, but the princess was amazed to see the Sheikah fingering a flower idly. "You have learned much in a short time, Hero, but there is still much you do not know that others receive with their mother's milk." Link's face tightened, and Zelda fought to keep her own expression steady at the sight of his pain. "There is no shame in it, pup, but this you must know. Mandrag is the enemy of the Goddesses themselves."

Link gasped. "The...you mean Din, Nayru and Farore? How could _they_ have an enemy?"

"All we have are legends, now," Impa said, exhaling. "The story goes that Mandrag, or 'magic-thief,' once had a different name, now lost to time. He was beloved by the goddesses all, but loved only Din. Growing jealous of Din's sisters, he spent less and less time with the creators. Indeed, it was the creation of Hyrule that finally drove him to madness. Now he had not two sisters to contend with, but a world entire. He attempted to seize Din for himself, but her might was too great and she cast him out of the Sacred Realm. His love turned to hatred, and his desire became a thirst for power and power alone." Link sat before Impa, mesmerized by the tale. Navi leaned on her arms as she laid down, as rapt as her partner. Zelda watched her Hero with fascination, having heard the story more times than she could count.

"Mandrag came to Hyrule, it is said, bent on our destruction, but Nayru saw his evil intent and warned her sisters." Impa frowned. "Then, she made what may have been the only mistake in her existence. Still feeling compassion for the goddesses' first friend, she descended herself to make one last attempt to reach him. Instead, he sought to capture her and use her as bait for Din." Link's hands became trembling fists in an eyeblink. Zelda didn't have to wonder why. Memories of another life flickered in her mind, watching in helpless terror as her Hero, already forced to endure a thousand battles, strode towards the King of Evil alone, even Navi stripped from him. "Their powers were too evenly matched, but when their battle neared the newly-made Hylians, Nayru feared for our safety and ceased her assault, only defending herself. Mandrag might have had her then, but Din and Farore appeared, the Goddess of Power blazing fury incarnate and her younger sister a whirlwind of fearless wrath."

"Is that where the Evil Realm comes from?" Link asked suddenly.

Impa nodded. "Very good, lad. The three goddesses created the prison eternal for him, though they left one hope for both the God of the Dark Fire and themselves. If he would forsake his cruel ambitions, they would welcome him to the Sacred Realm once more. They left a way for the mightiest wizards to reach him, that their children might guide Mandrag back into balance."

Link frowned, his fists relaxing. "I thought you said Nayru only made one mistake."

"It was the same mistake, pup," Impa replied, "if mistake it can be called, for the goddesses' only crimes in this were too great a love for their friend and too great a faith in their children. As you might imagine, the young, untutored Hylians, the power of the gods singing in their veins, were easy prey for the fallen one. More than one mighty witch and cunning sorcerer fell to the greed and corruption of Mandrag's whispers. Over time, mercifully, it became more difficult to contact Mandrag; only the purest of heart or most clever and powerful of wizards could penetrate the seal."

Link's fists formed again, trembling all the harder. "Who decides what 'pure of heart' means, anyway?"

"The Sacred Realm is not the Evil Realm, Link," Impa said firmly. "They touch, they connect to and reflect each other, that the goddesses might speak with their ancient foe and his servants, but only the Triforce itself could possibly bring the two into real contact, and Ganondorf never had the True Force in his grasp. Mercifully, knowledge of the Evil Realm has been all but lost." She looked away sadly. "Would that it had been lost entirely."

"The Mandrag Heir..." Link whispered. "Koume and Kotake?" he asked suddenly. Zelda gaped. _Nayru! Why didn't I think of that?_

Impa, meanwhile, merely nodded. "Mandrag, seeing his hope for escape dwindling, granted the last two witches he seduced virtual immortality. They, in turn, have been corrupting the Gerudo for centuries. Ganondorf is, without question," the last Sheikah said with deep bitterness, "their crowning achievement. Brilliant, charismatic, merciless and fantastically talented in all the wizard's arts, Dragmire is everything they have sought for centuries, and more. Only his vestiges of honor prevent him from being ideal for them."

"Honor!" Link blurted, outraged. "Ganondorf?"

Impa pierced the young Hero with a stern look, and he fell silent. "Even the King of Evil is not evil itself. Why did he not place a sword to Zelda's throat, otherwise, and force you to give him the Triforce of Courage?" Link and Zelda paled almost as one. "Indeed. Dragmire's Gerudo training runs deeply enough that he must challenge a worthy foe in something that at least resembles fair combat."

"Sure," Link snarled, "trapping someone in a magic crystal, that's fair."

"I was no match for him in physical combat," Zelda whispered, looking into her hands, "even with my Sheikah training." The other three looked at her in varying degrees of surprise. Navi nearly fell off Link's hat, more from her own reaction than his, but righted herself in mid-air and flew to hover above him. "He fought me with magic, when I had the Temple of Time as a defense. He won." She sighed. "Easily."

Link gritted his teeth. "Only because he had the Triforce of Power, Zelda! Whatever his twisted mind thinks is fair, that sure isn't it!"

"Yeah!" Navi added emphatically. "Once you're grown up, I bet you could wipe the floor with him!" She fluttered to Link's shoulder. "Link, how do you wipe a floor with a person?"

Link snorted a chuckle. "Beats the heck out of me, Navi." He paused in thought briefly, and Zelda sensed the Hero thinking about the original discussion. He looked up suddenly, realization dawning in his eyes. "Power...to repel evil..."

"You use the Master Sword to wipe the floor?" Navi asked dubiously.

Zelda giggled, and even Impa smiled. "Not literally, Navi," the Sheikah replied. "I believe, however, that Link has connected the Master Sword to Mandrag." Link nodded. "Before Koume and Kotake, there was a spiteful young sorcerer named Vaati. Most of his tale is lost to history, but in his arrogance he thought to control Mandrag. The Dark Fire consumed him in the end, but Mandrag was reborn through the remains of this vicious mage. The greatest Sages and sorcerers of that time, it is believed, used the power of the Triforce to call on the gods, and together they created the Master Sword. A young hero, clad in green," she added with a significant look at Link, "used the sword to destroy Mandrag's incarnation in our world. The Temple of Time was built to house the Master Sword and strengthen the seal on the Evil Realm. This had the side effect of sealing the Sacred Realm, due to their connection."

Link sat quietly for a long moment, then whistled. "That's some story."

"Yes, it is," Zelda replied. "We only have fragments of the legends, however, and they were legends long ago. There's so much we've lost. Was the Master Sword's ability to seal the Sacred Realm intended? Who was Vaati really, and where did he come from? Some of the legends say he was in love with a great bearer of the Light Force, but that strongly contradicts his connection to Mandrag."

"People," Impa noted dryly, "can be contradictory beings at times."

Zelda nodded in agreement. "True, but that would be an incredibly important part of the legend, wouldn't it? Yet we have no idea who this woman might have been. All we know of her is that the hero who contended with Vaati cared for her as well, no doubt more truly." She blushed suddenly, folding her hands in her lap. "It - I've always liked that part. That's all."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Zelda," Link said, and Navi bobbed in the air in her mimicry of a nod. "Still, it sounds like this Vaati was no Ganondorf."

"Agreed," Impa said simply, standing. The two children followed suit, Navi darting into the Hero's hat again. "Where Vaati was spiteful and overcome by hubris, Ganondorf is driven only by his hunger for power. Koume and Kotake have seen to that. Arrogant though he may be, we are all more familiar with his cunning and strategic genius than we would wish."

Zelda bit her lip. _Din, Nayru and Farore,_ she sighed, carefully wiping her lips clean with one finger. Link nodded, lost in thought. Then he stiffened, eyes wide with horror. As one, the Sheikah and the princess looked at him with concern. "Link? Link, what's wrong?" Zelda asked insistently.

"...Saria..."

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

#Link! Link, can you hear me?#

#I'm here, Saria! What's wrong?# His mind's eye sought the Forest Temple and Saria, and found vines threaded through with evil magic. _The Poe Sisters,_ he realized with dull horror.

#It was a trick! I'm so sorry!# The Hero could feel Saria using her Ocarina magic and Sage powers, but she was being driven back. #It _is_ Phantom Ganon, Link - but he's different somehow! I need your help-#

The connection snapped like a cut bowstring.

Link gasped. "SARIA!" he screamed, then raced out of Zelda's garden, pulling the Ocarina of Time from his pouch as he darted past astonished guards.

"Link, wait! Don't go alone-" Zelda was calling to him.

_I'm sorry, Zelda, but I can't wait!_ he thought desperately, the Minuet of Forest whistling across the garden in record time. As his body swirled into pure, verdant mana, one thought ruled his mind. _She was supposed to be safe, sear it! She was supposed to be safe!_

The strange non-existence between space and time faded, and he appeared before the Temple, Hookshot already appearing in his hand. The beasts of the Temple were no match for his Gilded Sword and Megaton Hammer, and he quickly made his way through the first few rooms. The Poes fled the main chamber, of course, but Link knew exactly where to find them. _Let's see how you gods-forsaken ghosts like a diet of Light Arrow,_ he snarled. The great chambers seethed with Deku Babas, but the Water Temple's extra-long Hookshot let him destroy them from a distance with ease. The Octoroks were no greater a threat than before, but the Hero found himself forced to focus to reflect their stones. _Saria,_ he thought, his knuckles turning white on the hilt of his golden blade.

"She'll be okay, Link," Navi said quietly as they reached the top floor. "We'll find her."

"I know, Navi," Link replied through gritted teeth. "It's just..."

"What?"

"This is so frustrating," he said in a furious rush. "I remember most of this, but it's been over two years and a lot of temples. I've forgotten just enough that I don't quite know what I do now." He looked around. "Wait. This room - I remember. I need to go in here." He opened the door.

"Link, wait...I don't know..." Navi spiraled slowly around the Hero as they entered the octagonal room. "Wait, I remember! We don't need to be here! All you get in here is-"

The door fell closed behind them. All-too-familiar iron bars clanged down behind them as well as at the door in front of them. Three Stalfos appeared in swirls of what they now knew was Dark Fire.

"...the Fairy Bow."

"Which I have," Link sighed. "Navi," he said as he drew sword and shield, the skeletal knights chuckling evilly as they approached, "when we kill these things, hit me right in the forehead, okay?"

"Watch out!" was Navi's only response, and the two leaped into battle once more. The fairy's power to focus his aim was as invaluable as always, but even with that and the might he'd gained over the years, three Stalfos were still a challenge. The first went down quickly, but he took a shallow cut along his back from one of the others. Without the blessing of the Fairy of Courage, he would have been bleeding. With an air of annoyance, he pulled out the Megaton Hammer and proceeded to reduce the second Stalfos to shards, taking a slash on the arm from the third. Trading Hammer for Hookshot, he stunned the obnoxious thing, then slashed it into oblivion. Like its brethren, the last Stalfos vanished in a burst of Dark Fire.

"Well." Link leaned on his knees for a moment and took a few deep breaths. "I'd forgotten how much fun that was."

"I just might hit you on the head after all," Navi drawled. "Look, let's just get the Fairy Bow and go. Zelda's an archer, isn't she?"

Link smiled proudly. "Best one I know, and considering that I know a bunch of Gerudos, that's saying something."

"Besides you, that is," Navi interjected.

"Me?" Link shrugged. "I'm okay."

"Okay?" Navi raced around to hover a foot ahead of Link, then flew backwards with exact timing to keep pace with him. "How many Gerudo warriors from the future wanted to 'breed' with you, again?"

Link coughed. "Um, let's go find Saria, okay?" he said with a blush. Striding forward, he opened the chest. There, as he expected, was the Fairy Bow.

What he didn't expect was to watch the Fairy Bow float into the air and then, in a whirl of golden motes of Time magic, vanish. Link looked at Navi in shock. The fairy stared back, eyes wide with uncertainty and fear. "Link, what was that?"

Link swallowed and looked at the empty space. He pulled out his Lens of Truth. Nothing. "I...I don't know." A thought struck him suddenly. "Wait a minute." He pulled out his Ocarina and played the Song of Time. An afterimage of the swirl appeared, and what looked like a pictograph of the ruins of Ganon's Tower flickered in the background. The Zelda who had sent him back was there, unmoving, and even a few bits of debris were frozen in mid-air. The Fairy Bow was appearing, a corresponding swirl of energy locked in place along with everything else.

"What in Farore's name is that?" Navi whispered.

"I...I'm not sure," Link whispered back. "But..." he looked down, then back up. The image was already fading. "...if I had to guess, the best I can come up with is that the Zelda in there, that Hyrule, that...time...is still there, somewhere. Then, some-when?" Link rubbed his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut for a second. "Gaaah. Not our problem right now. We have a Fairy Bow, she has a Fairy Bow. Fair trade." He strode towards the now-unlocked far door. "Come on. I want to introduce some sadistic Poe girls to Light Arrows."

Navi grinned, bobbing her aerial 'nod.' "I'm with you, Hero."

The Light Arrows did indeed disagree with the Poe Sisters. They weren't quite as effective as the Hero had hoped, but he quickly retrieved all four flames and activated the strange lift device. "Ready, Navi?" he asked grimly as he strode forward without hesitation.

"Ready!" the fairy agreed immediately, zipping around the Hero. Together, they rode down to the lowest level and worked their way into the strange gallery. Link walked into the center of the room and looked around.

Nothing happened. Link grimaced, glaring at the paintings. "Where are you, you ugly, overgrown Poe? Show yourself, Din burn you!"

"Such manners!" an all too familiar voice laughed, booming from every direction. "You are a guest, boy. You should be more polite."

"A guest?" Link roared. Navi virtually hummed with outrage at his side. "I'm a Kokiri! This is _our_ Temple, and you, you gods-forsaken monster, are not welcome!"

"Kokiri?" The evil presence laughed again. "We both know better than that, don't we, little Hero?" Link ignored the pain in his heart, head darting from side to side. Finally, the creature began to form overhead, motes of Dark Fire appearing from nowhere to form the false Ganondorf on his shadow-steed. He wielded the familiar three-pronged spear, and stared mockingly at Link with Ganondorf's face. Again, he gripped the top of his head, tearing the face away...

...but this time, what he revealed was the monstrous boar's head of Ganon himself!

"WAAH!" Link blurted, leaping back. The thing's sadistic laugh redoubled.

"The Twinrova witches have been watching you, kid," the creature bellowed with cruel amusement. "With our magics combined, we have detected many strange things...and learned a few useful tricks. While we do not know all regarding your accursed knowledge, rest assured that we know some of what you have experienced. This beast, for instance...very useful! HA ha ha ha ha!" Returning to familiar ground, the evil spirit from beyond rode into one of the paintings.

Link wiped sweat from his brow. This body was not Ganon's, but Ganondorf was commanding it directly, of that much he was certain. He drew his bow, readied a Light Arrow and prayed to Farore. Turning slowly, he heard the tell-tale swirl, spun and fired.

_Thank you, Farore!_ he exulted as the demonic horse exploded in a clash of light and shadow. As he expected, Phantom Ganon soared into the air, spinning his double-ended spear. "Looks like you don't know as much as you thought, tyrant," Link quipped.

"We shall see. HA!" Ganon fired a ball of power at the Hero. Link grinned and swung his sword into it.

The blade passed through the globe, and Link flew back, body sizzling. "GAH!" He gritted his teeth as the evil king's puppet laughed again.

#Link, that's not the Master Sword! What you tried to do - that must have something to do with the Power to Repel Evil!# Navi warned him through their connection.

#Oh, great,# Link replied with a groan. #I hope the Light Arrows work, then...# The Hero remembered all too well how effective normal arrows had been against the first Phantom Ganon. He tossed a Deku Nut at the creature, who recoiled. _Heh. Mido to the rescue. What a day this has been._ Link drew his bow again. Navi loyally flew into place over the monster's head, and the Hero fired.

Even as a phantom, Ganon's scream was horrific. It wasn't like a normal person's pain. Ganon's roar was like all the hate in the world given voice, as if pure spite could enter the world as a single relentless sound. Naturally, even a Light Arrow wasn't going to deter Ganon with a single shot, and the duel continued. Each fired and dodged, Link evading bursts of Dark Fire, Ganon occasionally spinning out of the way of an Arrow. The Hero hissed in pain as another blast pounded him. _He's tougher than his stooge from the first time around,_ Link thought angrily. _I've got to think about this..._

A sudden grin formed. "Hey, pig-boy! Try this one on for size!" He summoned the Iron Boots, wincing in memory of old pain though they fit at last, then pulled out the Hookshot and fired. With the Boots bracing him, the phantom was pulled to Link's side. _Now let's see if he's immune to the Gilded Sword!_ Link thought triumphantly, the sight of Ganon's shock evident even on his porcine features. A flicker of thought banished the Iron Boots, and he slashed again and again at the devil before him. Ganon howled in pain and fury. _Guess not._ Link's smile grew genuinely predatory when, after one particularly vicious slash, he thrust his sword behind him.

"Grrrah! DIE!" Ganon snarled, bringing up his spear for an overhand smash.

Link spun, slashing and burning in a whirlwind of death. Phantom Ganon bellowed in hatred denied, then exploded in a burst of shadow and flame. "Heh heh heh..." the pained voice chuckled. "...not bad, kid. You're strong." A green glow slowly grew from above as the phantom's influence waned. "Unfortunately for you, I am stronger. You may have defeated this puppet, but rest assured, the master yet awaits you!" With that, the last traces of Dark Fire vanished.

Link sat down heavily. "Whew. Navi, you okay?"

"Oh, sure, I'm the one getting beat on all the time. Wait, actually, that would be..." Navi shot back caustically.

"Oh for Din's sake," Link breathed. "Look, would you fly up there and see if that glow's Saria?"

"No need," Saria replied gently. She floated slowly to the floor, her fairy orbiting dazedly above her, then threw her arms around Link and hugged him more fiercely than he thought possible for the sweet Kokiri girl. "I'm so sorry!" she sobbed suddenly.

"Wh-huh-you're sorry? Farore, for what?" Link blurted.

"Language," Saria said automatically, then leaned back and smiled sheepishly. Link mumbled something that he hoped was an apology as she continued. "I wasn't in any danger, Link. I was trying to ask for your help in cleansing the Forest Temple when that...that creature locked me out. I couldn't get in, and it would have taken forever to get past the wards on the roof to reach Mido..." she squeezed again, and Link clenched his jaw to avoid groaning. His ribs were going to be truly angry with him in the morning. "...but he cut me off in the middle of contacting you, and I just knew you would think I was in danger. If anything had happened to you because of me-"

Link took her arms in his hands and leaned back. _Gods be good,_ he thought quietly as the pain receded. "Saria, you were like my mother, my sister and my best friend all in one when I was a kid. You were always there for me." He brushed an errant lock out of her face. "I'll always be there for you." He chuckled, finally giving in to a wince. "Besides, what's a few open wounds between friends?"

Saria considered that for a moment. "Tell that to Zelda," she said finally, releasing him and folding her arms, but she grinned as she said it.

"Oh, that's not fair," Link groaned, trying to stand. He sat down again with a thump. "Ow. We - for the love of Nayru, what's that?" he gasped, looking up. A second glow of forest green was descending. As Saria followed his gaze, he realized that it was the Forest Medallion. Before either of them could say anything, however, the same time magic that had claimed the Fairy Bow at the temple's apex claimed the Medallion. "Of course. I already have the Forest Medallion."

Saria blinked up at the empty space where the Medallion had been. "Link, do you know what just happened?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, finally regaining his feet with some help from the Forest Sage, "but I've got an idea. I'm hoping the Sage of Time can give me some help on that one."

"Your ideas, I suspect, have merit, young Hero," a new, deep voice echoed through the gallery. Link, Saria and Navi turned as one to the center of the room, where the expected gateway had finally opened. Instead of the familiar blue of the Light Temple's Chamber of the Sages, though, it glowed orange-gold, almost like the Requiem of Spirit's magic. From that golden glow emerged a large figure in an all-concealing cloak, face hidden by the brown hood's shadows and the body surrounded by the voluminous wing-like cape.

Link jumped in front of Saria, who immediately formed a sphere of green energy between her hands. "Who are you?" the Hero demanded, sword and shield out in an instant.

"I am the Arbiter," the newcomer announced evenly. _It's strange,_ Link thought, carefully taking in what little he could of the unfamiliar visitor. _He doesn't feel like an enemy, but his voice, so empty..._ The Arbiter turned his head, and Link guessed that he'd shifted his gaze from the blade back to the Hero. "You and the princess have altered Time itself, and now the gods must take a hand, lest the streams of time become dangerously mixed."

"Streams of time..." Link licked his lips, concentrating. _That vision..._ "Are you saying that the Zelda I knew in the future sent me to another...'time stream?' Is that it?"

"Exactly," the Arbiter said, his voice seeming to take on just the faintest hint of something that might have been a feeling. Saria seemed to be trying to stare through darkness itself to see the face beneath the hood. "Thus have I been chosen to prevent the barriers from weakening overmuch. Your Zelda did well to-"

_"My_ Zelda," Link growled dangerously, "is at Hyrule Castle. Endanger her at your peril."

"The Zelda from the other time stream meant to aid the past and redeem what she felt were her sins toward you," the Arbiter continued as if Link hadn't just threatened him, "yet those actions have resulted in an imbalance in the forces of both her Hyrule and this one. To save her time stream, some of the advantage gained in this one must be balanced out."

Saria frowned faintly. "Why? That doesn't seem fair."

"Had she simply sent you knowledge, that would be true," the Arbiter replied neutrally, "but she did not. Though he possessed the body of a ten year old, this Link had all the experience, power and equipment of the Hero of Time, excluding only the Master Sword. You were given a warrior capable of conquering an enemy wielding both the Triforce of Power and the Dark Fire. Link has only become stronger, and will grow stronger still during the next five years. More to the point, in doing as she did, she deprived her own stream of its Hero. He is here, now, before you."

Saria's eyes went wide. "Then...but..." She looked from Link to the Arbiter. "Are you saying that this Link is from a completely different world?" Link shuddered. _I can't be alone again...can I?_ One look into Saria's eyes gave the lie to that fear, and he almost smiled again. _Still trying to protect me._ "I won't believe that! He's our Link!"

"In a sense, you are correct," the Arbiter agreed. "This 'stream' was no different from the other until Link's arrival from the future separated it from its mother time. As such, he is different, yet not. Nevertheless, the point remains that where there was one, there are now two - mirror-worlds reflecting one another across Time. The very instant he arrived, however, choices changed, events changed, and you became unique individuals from the beings who now reside in that other world."

"Wait a minute," Link cut in. "Are you saying that there's two of everyone...but me?"

"And your fairy companion," the Arbiter said evenly. "While your understanding is not perfect, it is sufficiently accurate for the discussion at hand."

"Oh no," Saria whispered.

"The ageless Forest Sage grasps the danger well," the Arbiter intoned. "You may think little of your importance even now - a function of your pure, noble heart," he said, voice still utterly even, and Link turned bright red, "but the truth is that without you, that world will eventually fall to eternal darkness before Ganon's might. In order to ensure that does not happen, we must give that world what its Zelda truly intended - a Link with his childhood restored."

"Is that even possible?" Navi asked incredulously. "How can we exist there, if everyone got copied but us because we got - moved!"

"Even for the gods, it will not be a simple task," the Arbiter said, still as motionless as a statue, "but given how you came to be here, it is possible. They are, in many ways, beyond the normal flow of time - one could say they are of Time itself - and after a fashion, so is the one you know as Mandrag."

"So...we, we have to keep the Dark Fire's focus over here, where I am, so he can't mess up that other world while it's vulnerable?" Link asked, shaking his head. "Gods be good. When is it enough..." he sighed, taking a long, deep breath. "I'm sorry. That was unworthy. I'm just...I'm just tired."

"That world is more vulnerable than even you can imagine, Hero of Time," the Arbiter said, beginning to sink into the gate. "You saw the image through your use of the Ocarina. Your time streams are matched, yet you are in the past. The world where you originated from remains in the 'moment' from which you were sent until this stream flows unto the equivalent moment here, 'now.' If your Ganondorf becomes capable of projecting his might and will into that world, he and his foul patron will have years to effect magic that will thunder across that Hyrule in the instant you vanished." The Arbiter's head seemed to tilt away from Link for a moment. "You are not a prisoner, Hero of Time. You can choose not to bear this burden." His voice was still impersonal, but Link sensed something - compassion? Pity?

It didn't matter. "Sure. I can just let a whole world fall to Ganon forever because I need some sleep," Link drawled. "I beat the monster once, I can do it again."

"Know, Hero, that Ganondorf will be permitted to match your knowledge and power with terrible might," the Arbiter warned. He could have been giving Link directions to the Potion Shop in Castle Town. "I am not permitted to warn you of his plans, and he will become increasingly aware of your 'future history.' The only benefit you will receive is the barrier between worlds."

"I'll manage." Link straightened, sheathing his sword and returning the Hylian Shield to his back. "It's what I do."

"Indeed it is, young Hero," the Arbiter said, disappearing into the portal. "Indeed it is."

He was gone.

"Okay," Navi said nervously, "is it just me, or was that almost as creepy as Phantom Ganon himself?"

"No argument there," Link agreed emphatically. "You know what really ticks me off, though, is now I've got to find all the stuff I already have. Again!"

Saria laughed and hugged him gently. "What are we going to do with you?" the Sage asked fondly.

Link sighed. "Help me go through the Dodongo Caverns and Jabu-Jabu to grab the stuff I missed?" he said with a weak grin.

Saria and the two fairies laughed in unison. "Come on, Hero," the Sage said, guiding him into the gateway. "I'll take care of you. Just like old times."

_'Just like old times,'_ Link thought, sniffling slightly as they descended into the light. _You'll never know how much those four words just meant to me._

They emerged at the platform for the Requiem of Spirit.

"What in Farore's name?" Link blurted. Saria grimaced. Then they watched in shock as, desert shaking furiously around them, a titanic pillar rose from the sands near the Spirit Temple, its peak adorned with a huge replica of the Forest Medallion, held in the wings of the great Phoenix of Hyrule.

"Link, let's get out of here," Saria whispered.

"Definitely Sage advice," Link quipped weakly. "Hang on." Saria gripped him tightly, and this time Link was more than glad of it. He played the Prelude of Light, and its welcome mana wrapped around them like a blanket. With that, they were gone.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

Impassively, the Arbiter watched the Hero and Sage vanish. Once, he was sure, he would have worried about them, but he was not as he had been. That had been the agreement.

Ganondorf strode up beside him. The Gerudo King was strutting, even for so simple a walk. "And so it begins," he said with amusement.

"You are unwell," the Arbiter said without concern.

"The kid has skill, no question," Ganondorf replied, his deep voice only faintly mocking, "but when the time comes, I will crush him like an insect. You know the nature of my advantage, Arbiter." He ignored the searing winds and scouring sands that blew around them.

So did the Arbiter. "You do not yet know the full extent of what the Hero has accomplished, monarch," he said, walking towards the great Temple doorway. They could have been discussing the weather. "The advantage you have bargained with me for is far less absolute than you might think."

"You?" Ganondorf looked at the Arbiter with astonishment. Then he laughed, a pained cough marring his confident demeanor. "Arbiter, I will take any advantage I can acquire, but rest assured I find yours of moderate account at most. In battle, I have been bested only once in all my years since earning my scimitars. At that, it took the legendary Queen of Hyrule in her enchanted armor to overwhelm me while I was yet a mere prince."

The Arbiter shrugged. "As you say. The Chamber of Arbitration will pass judgement in the end. I care not which of you it judges; such is my duty and my fate."

"So you mentioned," Ganondorf replied, a cunning look crossing his face. He rubbed his chin lightly. "What sort of judgement, precisely, do you intend to pass?"

"There are artifacts," the Arbiter explained, "appropriate to both yourself and the Hero, a sword of light and a mirror of shadow. The vanquished will meet his end in this world with the use of the relevant device."

"A sword of light..." Ganondorf chuckled wryly. "A fitting end to the Hero."

The Arbiter saw no point in correcting the Gerudo King. He would fulfill his obligations and nothing more. Thus had he been made. If some portion of the man he had been would have felt satisfaction in the tyrant's error, that was not particularly relevant.

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"You couldn't wait five seconds to take me with you?" Zelda scolded fiercely as she pushed Link on to the healer's bed. _Of all the reckless...!_ she fumed to herself.

"Take you with - Impa would have skinned me alive!" Link blurted. "Ow!"

"Don't be such a baby," the princess said firmly, trying to remain stern. She nudged the Hero, and he pulled up his tunic and rolled onto his side obediently.

"Baby? You fight Phantom Ganon without the Master Sword and see how you look on the other side of it. Owww." Link sighed while Zelda looked at the ugly gash along his back. "Do you know where Impa and Saria went?" he asked quietly.

Zelda forced herself to focus on the deep, unpleasant wound. It wasn't bleeding, a side effect of the Great Fairy's blessing, but it seemed to glow almost malevolently to her Sage's sight. _He's right - well, except Impa would have been after my hide first,_ she thought bitterly. It wasn't right. _How many times?_ she wondered, forcing herself to become outwardly calm. "This wound is...infected is not the right word, but the phantom's energy has tainted it. Do you have a fairy bottle?" Zelda asked evenly. Link merely arched an eyebrow at her. "You might have used them up already. I don't want to take any chances." She glanced at Navi. "Is there something you could do?"

Navi looked at her toes. Zelda didn't sense shame from the fairy, but there was a sort of embarrassment not unlike what she picked up from her Hero when he was reminded of being an orphan, or that he wasn't a true Kokiri. "I can't heal wounds normally, the way pink fairies do. I can help Link every once in a while, but I have to store it up."

"She can draw me back to a specific time," Link explained bluntly, "if I fall really far or get knocked out. Navi's saved my life more than once that way." Navi rested against the Hero's cheek. "It's not something either of us likes to rely on, because it always exhausts her, and if she hasn't recovered, and I mess up again..."

"I'm different," Navi said quietly.

Link nudged her with a gentle shake of his head. "You're special."

"Like you?" Navi and Zelda said in time with each other. They grinned.

"Impa and Saria?" Link said quickly.

Zelda bit her lip, and was immediately glad she hadn't had to appear in court since Link's disappearance. "Speaking privately upstairs. Sage business. I suspect they are concerned about the other Temples." The energies in the wounds seethed quietly, but Zelda was already seeing the blend of Fire and Wind that Ganondorf's avatar had used, and the Dark Fire that had bound them together. The princess let mana flow into her fingers, and slowly drew the energies away, letting them dissipate.

"Ooo. Oh, that's better," Link said with a sigh of immense relief, beginning to relax. "That's a good idea, though, working out what to do with the rest of the Temples. If they can make it work, I'd be just as happy to never fight Bongo Bongo again." The Hero slowly rolled onto his stomach, and Zelda leaned over to reach the wound more readily. "Zel, do you understand all that stuff about time and twin souls and all that?"

Zelda paused in her work briefly. "I think so," she said slowly, returning to her healing. "Think of it like a parallel dimension - like the Sacred Realm, the Twilight Realm or Termina."

Link nodded, almost fully relaxed. Then his head bobbed up an inch. "Twilight Realm?"

"Don't worry about it," Zelda said firmly, pulling at a particularly stubborn bit of power. "We may have been one world once, one stream of time as this Arbiter put it, but now we're two different worlds, two different sets of souls." She let her fingers brush against the skin just beyond the wound opening. _And this one owes everything to you,_ she thought distantly. The bloody lips of the wound slowly closed at her ministration. Link trembled. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Fine," he replied, voice cracking badly. "Fine."

Zelda giggled. "Ah, puberty. You didn't go through _that_ last time, did you?"

"So," Link said with the force of a man desperately changing the subject, "parallel dimensions."

Zelda's giggles turned to genuine laughter. "Oh, Link." She forced the good humor back with a bit of will. "So. There's two of me, two Impas, two Sarias and so on. Two Ganondorfs as well, but the one you already bested has been sealed away in the Evil Realm. The differences in worlds makes us each unique individuals now, with unique souls."

"Only one of us, though," Navi said sorrowfully.

The humor vanished in truth. "That is a problem," Zelda agreed. "I have no idea how that could be, or how it can be undone." She exhaled heavily and leaned back. The foul energies were gone and the slash had been healed, Nayru willing, though it would most likely leave a scar. "You should be fine now," she said as brightly as she could, and leaned back.

He sat up and pulled his shirt off. Zelda blinked and licked her lips as he examined the Kokiri tunic. "Hm. Usually, the Kokiri magic is enough to repair any damage," Link muttered.

"Th-the energies that kept your body from healing," Zelda said quickly, trying to force her heart to beat normally and failing, "probably did the same thing to your tunic. Here, I'll take it to the tailors," she added, snatching it from his hands and walking briskly to the door.

"Hey!" Link blurted. "What the heck was that all about, Navi?" he asked as Zelda fled with as much dignity as she could manage.

Navi giggled. "I don't know," she lied shamelessly just before the door closed.

Zelda leaned against the door for a moment and caught her breath. _No twelve year old,_ she thought, not sure just how annoyed she was, _should have a body like...like _that._ Din, Nayru and Farore._ Of course, constant training and battle easily explained his conditioning - Marth had spoken in hushed awe of the Hero when they'd first returned from slaying Medeus, and Marth was never in awe of anyone, even her father - but explanations didn't make seeing it any easier when she was only twelve herself. More to the point, even if she now knew they were another Zelda's memories, she remembered most vividly seeing him at seventeen. She forced her mind away from such thoughts, but that only brought her to a depressingly familiar train of them. _Din, Nayru, Farore, please, he's been through so much._

No shaft of light answered her silent prayer, no music of the spheres played through the mana. None ever had. Occasionally, she thought she could almost feel the goddesses' sorrow, their regret, but Zelda had to wonder if those were the gods' feelings or her own. Either way, apology was all they could give him.

Zelda's face became a mask of determination. _Well, the gods may not be able to do something, but Din sear it, I can! Sheik was there for him before, and I swear by Nayru, she will be again, if I have to drop Impa into the Chamber of Sages myself!_


	6. Interlude Two: Winter, Twelve

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Interlude Two: Winter, Twelve**

Link rubbed Epona's neck, smiling broadly. He pulled his fur-lined cloak around him more closely, however, the moment it opened. "I love winter, Epona," he said, brushing a light dusting of snow from the filly's mane. "You know why?"

Epona snorted and shook her head, slowing to a canter. Lon Lon Ranch slowly grew in the distance.

"No fighting." Link chuckled. "Well, not a lot of fighting, anyway." He looked around at the silver-white gleam of Hyrule Field and sighed in relief. "I mean, winter's beautiful, too, and there's not as much regular work to do either. We get to play at the ranch, and Zelda actually has some real free time..." he glanced over at Castle Town. Even at the Hero's distance, the towers of Hyrule Castle shone clearly in the twilight. "Even with that, though, all the bandits going into hiding, Ganondorf's Gerudo and Lizalfos and Moblins going into hibernation or whatever? Best part. Definitely."

A screech of wood and metal stressed to their limits shattered Link's peace. "Farore," he swore tonelessly, following the sound to the west. A carriage with enough silver trim and iron banding to mark the owners as lower nobility came into view, its two horses fleeing wildly. _When will I learn to keep my mouth shut?_ Less than ten seconds after Link spurred Epona towards the distressed passengers, a pack of bandits came riding over the hill into view. Whooping and snarling, they chased the carriage with merciless abandon.

#So much for that thought,# Link 'pathed to Navi with a grunt.

#Hnh? Wha'?# Navi blearily rose from her blanket of cap rim and blond hair, rubbing her eyes. #Are we there yet?#

#Brigands, Navi,# Link replied curtly, sending her the mental image. As always, the sight of innocents in distress burned the cobwebs from the fairy's tiny eyes. Navi appeared over the Hero's head, an angry halo marking the coming of the Hero's wrath.

It was hardly a minute before Link and Epona had wheeled to come alongside the carriage, the Hero blocking a few half-hearted shots with his shield. What he saw made him hiss through his teeth in empathy and outrage. _Lady Uli,_ he thought, his mind snarling, _and little Colin._

Lady Uli was clutching a shallow slash across her belly as if trying to protect Hyrule itself. The wound would have been of little account to even Lady Mila, let alone one of the finest witches in the kingdom, but Uli was also bulging with pregnancy. _Please, Nayru,_ Link prayed, _don't let her go into labor yet._ Colin, not even a year younger than Link but a full head shorter, was clutching the reins with terrified determination, his face drained of color. Link tightened his grip on Epona's reins painfully. The driver was dead next to the poor boy, an arrow driven straight through one eye. The Hero turned and loosed an Ice Arrow in front of the brigands' horses, and the murderers slowed to avoid crashing onto the path. "Turn right, lad!" Link shouted as they headed along the road, veering towards Lon Lon.

"What about Castle Town?" Colin shouted even as he obeyed.

"We'll never make it!" Link explained. "They wouldn't leave the drawbridge down for anyone short of Zelda herself!" He stood in the stirrups and cupped one hand to his mouth. "Malon! Talon! For the love of Nayru! TALON!"

In moments, both 'Lons' of Lon Lon were at the gates. "What in the name of Din is going on out there?" Talon roared back. "Can't a man even take a nap?" He blinked his eyes clear, then leaped in place at the sight coming straight at him. "Farore!"

"Daddy!" Malon objected when she heard his oath. "What's going on...Farore," she breathed. Ingo ran up, took one look at the havoc headed toward them, and ran back.

"The moment Epona's inside," Link shouted, "you close that gate!" He grunted in annoyance when an arrow landed in his back with a meaty thunk. Malon screamed. "Talon, you keep Malon and Colin away from that wall!"

"Right!" Talon replied emphatically, much to the young Hero's relief.

"What? Daddy-" Malon objected, but Talon was already taking her in hand. The entrance to Lon Lon approached in a blur of speed. Lady Uli's carriage stormed through, and Ingo waved the horses down, to Link's surprised relief. He did a backflip off of Epona, throwing back the cloak and drawing his bow even before he landed, and glanced over his shoulder to check on both horse and ranch. Talon slammed the gate shut with an explosive wooden shudder. "What - no! Daddy, Link's still outside! LINK!"

"Keep that gate closed!" Link yelled back, then turned his full attention to the approaching thugs. Navi darted into place over the front-most villain's head. The other thieves were lean, literally hungry Hylians, their clothes hanging loosely on their bodies. Their horses were in somewhat better shape, but clearly hadn't eaten well either. To Link, they seemed haunted, with dark circles around their eyes, and the ones who looked at the massive figure Navi targeted flinched away immediately. Some who saw his tunic gaped at the sight. He dismissed them for the moment as minor threats.

The huge man in front was another story. His eyes gleamed like a rabid wolf's, and yellowed teeth showed through an expression that could have been an evil smile or a snarl. _Maybe something of both,_ Link thought, battle focus preventing the feeling from being more than mild disgust. He was eating much better than his gang, if his muscle was any indication. His ears were rounded, like an Altean's, which surprised Link the most. The bandit leader laughed harshly at the sight of the boy pointing a bow at him, then held up a fist. He reined in his horse, the others following suit immediately. 'Rabid,' as Navi had dubbed him, jumped out of his saddle, landed some twenty feet from the Hero and rested his hand on a mace head. "What's this? Some kid wants to be next?"

Link said nothing, merely keeping his arrow pointed at Rabid's head. The brigand bared his teeth again. "Drop the bow, boy, and maybe we'll just add you to the fun instead of ripping your arms and legs off and leaving the stump for the Stalchildren." Two of the Hylians swallowed, and one laughed with manic nervousness. "I want that woman." His eyes gleamed wildly, fully mad now in the moonlight.

"Yield or die," was all Link said in response. He drew forth mana, and the arrowhead became sheathed in frost. The Hylian bandits recoiled. Rabid's eyes bulged, however, and he drew his mace and charged. Before he had taken two steps, Link fired, and the lunatic's head was instantly covered in a block of ice. The Hero summoned his Hammer, walked calmly to his target, and brought the weapon down on the frozen cube. It shattered easily. Link banished the Hammer and summoned the bow again. "Yield or die," he repeated evenly. The Hylian criminals raised their hands immediately, an air of relief around many of them. "Ingo! Talon!"

Talon opened the gate slightly and peered out. "Is it over?"

"I think so," Link replied. "Get some rope. We'll tie these brigands up, then I'll bring them to Castle Town in the morning with Lady Uli and young Colin." The Hero guarded the thieves closely, but they didn't resist, even though Talon and Ingo didn't spare them while binding them.

"Honestly!" Malon sighed, striding towards Link and the older ranch hands. "I'm not some newborn foal that can't...handle..." Link's heart leaped into his throat when Malon trailed off. She stared at the headless body, eyes flickering to the gruesome shards of ice spread around its shoulders. "What in Farore's name..."

"Get inside, Malon," Link insisted, voice thick with emotion. "Make sure Lady Uli's okay."

"She'll be fine," the redhead replied quietly. "Got her bandaged up and a pint of warm Lon Lon milk in her. She could use a potion, but I'll bet a red to a green you've got one."

Link nodded. "I'm coming," he said once Talon nodded back, Ingo pulling the last knot tight on the final thief with a satisfied grunt. Link turned to follow Malon, jogging up to her when he saw that she was shaking. "You okay?"

"I..." Malon shivered and hugged herself. "Not as tough as I thought, I guess."

"Tough isn't the same thing as strong, Malon. You're strong." Link rubbed the back of her shoulder fondly. "You follow the way of Nayru, that's all. You believe in people. Like Zelda."

"Like you, too," Malon half-insisted, half-asked. Link sighed heavily.

"I belong to Farore, Malon," the Hero said quietly. "What I do, I do so people like you don't have to suffer the way..." Link remembered a teenage Malon looking up at him with desperate hope, having endured a vicious, terrified Ingo's cruelty to protect her father and her horses. "...Lady Uli has." He glanced behind to make sure the bandits weren't giving Talon or Ingo any trouble. Confident that they were suitably cowed, he followed Malon.

He saw Lady Uli resting weakly on a bale of hay, Colin clutching her hand, and darted to her side. The Red Potion was already in his hand. "Drink slowly," he said gently, handing her the bottle. "Pregnant women shouldn't swallow healing fluids too quickly."

Uli nodded, smiling and stroking the Hero's hair, then took the bottle and obeyed. Link felt a little foolish - _she brews Red Potion, for Din's Sake_ - but all he felt after that was relief as she sipped the life-giving fluid, her half-healed wound vanishing entirely and her fatigue fading away. Colin wept and hugged his mother. "Mom," the lad whispered.

"I'm here, Colin," she replied, her voice steady enough that Link let himself relax. Then she gently added Link to the embrace, and Malon giggled as a line of embarrassed crimson formed over the bridge of his nose.

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"Froze him solid from head to toe! And _then,_ Mr. Ingo said, he took out a hammer as big as he was," Colin said, "swung it like it was a twig, and shattered the ice into a million pieces!" The boy acted out the swing with a tottering whirl. "There was nothing left but snow!" Several castle children gasped in amazement.

_I doubt it happened quite like that,_ Zelda thought, smiling as she listened to the tale, _but it does sound like my Link. Our Link._ She kicked her feet and looked down. Once, her legs would have barely dangled past the rafter she was sitting on. Now, to the princess, they seemed to go on forever, lanky and ungainly. _Some Sheikah I'll be, looking like a Tektite._ The other children bounced excitedly in the stable's hay as Colin recounted the surviving thieves' surrender after a tense, dramatic staredown (also as described by "Mr. Ingo," of course). She perked up, catching activity on the other side of the castle stables. _Hm. Let's see. Colin's telling an exciting story about someone's heroism over here. That particular someone is shy and humble. Now where would he bring in his horse?_ Zelda ran easily along the wooden beams above the horses and stable hands, remaining unnoticed in the shadows.

As she predicted, a weary-looking Hero was stabling Epona, rubbing her neck gratefully. "You did good, girl," he said, tired but proud.

"I bet she'd have a few words for you if she could talk, though," Zelda chuckled, leaping down. Link jumped halfway out of his skin. The princess laughed.

"Farore, Zel!" he gasped, clutching his chest and letting go of his sword. "What are you doing down here, anyway?"

"Checking on Lady Uli and Squire Colin," she said innocently. "Colin's been telling us all about your latest heroic rescue." Link groaned. "At least, the way he heard it from 'Mr. Ingo.'" Zelda laughed when Link sank to the ground, holding his forehead.

"So how great was the horde in Ingo's version?" Link asked quietly.

Zelda sat down next to the Hero and took his free hand. "Oh, barely two dozen or so." She smiled at Link. "Only twice the real number, from what Lady Uli tells us."

The boy sighed. Navi giggled from within his hat. "I was just - "

"' - doing your job,'" Zelda and Navi said in unison, "we know," Zelda finished herself. She paused at the frown she saw Link fighting back. "Link? What's wrong?"

"What? Uh, noth..." the princess glared. The Hero sighed again. "Malon saw...what I left of their leader. It really got to her."

"You too, huh?" Zelda asked gently, squeezing his hand tighter.

Link looked up in surprise. "Me? Gods, I've seen worse fighting Lizalfos. Have you ever seen how they eat?" He shook his head. "Farore, have you ever seen _what_ Lizalfos eat?"

"I think," Zelda said as calmly as she could manage, "I do not want to know." Her other life inserted a memory of Sheik coming across the remains of a Lizalfos raid. "Ew."

"Good idea," Link agreed, not catching the meaning of her reaction. "Malon, this Malon anyway, hadn't seen anything like it either. For someone like her, it was pretty ugly."

Zelda bit her lip. "Link, are you sure you're all right? I know you've been through a lot, but Hylians don't disintegrate in Dark Fire when they die." She looked at him carefully, but he just seemed confused. Zelda brightened. "Okay, you're fine." The princess stood, still holding his hand, and all but hauled him to his feet. "Royal decision. You're done for the day."

"You're going to spoil me," Link chuckled, letting Zelda tow him off.

The Sage felt him worrying about something, but she let it go. _Whatever it is, you'll have forgotten it in about ten minutes._ Zelda grinned at him. "I wish. I can't wait to show you this, though. Lenzo's created a new Light Charm, one that lets anyone use telepathy."

"Really?" Link gasped. "That's amazing."

Zelda shrugged. "Well, it does have a few flaws. It floats in your hand and glows, which is a problem for...say, a Temple delver like you...and, well, let's just say it's not perfected yet." Link chuckled, no doubt remembering Lenzo's last attempt to recreate the Hover Boots. "Still, it works most of the time, and it looks really neat!" She didn't have to tow him then; one of the things they loved sharing with each other was discovery. _Ten minutes,_ Zelda thought happily, _and you'll be good as new._


	7. Part 1, Ch 4: Thirteen: Fire

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Four: Thirteen - Fire**

Zelda bit back a curse and slapped the ground three times. Impa released her pinned arm and backflipped away. "Well done, child. You lasted three minutes that time."

The Sage of Time snorted derisively, rolled onto her back and sat up. She wasn't sure if she was glad or annoyed that her garden sanctuary was virtually untouched by their training exercises. "Oh, that's very comforting, Impa," she quipped, voice thick with irony. "Knowing that Ganondorf would capture me in three minutes instead of two is a great relief."

"I'm pleased that you think me as great a warrior as the King of Evil," Impa said dryly, not reacting in the least when Zelda stuck her tongue out at the Sheikah, "but after two centuries, I do have some skill. You have mastered the arts of invisibility, mental defense, vanishing, your Sheikah form and even the Eye of Truth, which Link himself still struggles with." Zelda suddenly felt as if she could float off the ground. Blinking back tears, she nodded as respectfully as she could manage. "I will not have you overestimate yourself, my child, but neither will I have you denigrate your abilities. Even without your wizardry, you are a match for any Stalfos, Moblin or enchanted beast in Ganondorf's arsenal. With it, I daresay you would last more than three minutes against me."

Seeing her opening, Zelda struck immediately. _Just as Impa taught me,_ she thought with an impish grin. "So I'm ready to go with Link when the next Temple is threatened?" she asked with sweet innocence. Impa's eyes went wide - the first time in either life Zelda could remember surprising her thus - then swore so vehemently at such length the princess was frozen with shock. "Impa!" she blurted, scandalized.

The last Sheikah shook her head sadly, then smiled at Zelda with pride. The tears threatened to resurface, and Zelda's throat felt tight. "I keep telling myself that I cannot shelter you forever, yet here I am, teaching you to be one of the deadliest beings in our world with one hand and trying to keep you a safe and gentle princess with the other."

"Impa, I love both sides of who I am," Zelda replied patiently. "There were occasions when I hated being a dress-up doll, I will admit, but knowing what good I can do as heir to the crown..." she smiled shyly. "It is a great comfort."

"And, perhaps, the gowns and courtly manners are not so odious as they once were?" Impa asked, not quite smiling, one eyebrow raised.

Zelda looked away, still smiling, and toyed with a single flower with one finger. "I...I suppose not. At times." She pulled back her hand then, fist clenched. "But I am also the Hero's Sage. His guide. He needs me, Impa. In that other life, even if I could only advise him, I was there."

The princess was stunned when Impa sat beside her, then wrapped her in a gentle hug. "I know, child. I know." The Sheikah did smile then, rueful and fiercely proud all at once. "Your father is going to be furious with me."

"You leave father to me," Zelda said with a slight chuckle. "He knows how important this is." She grinned at her bodyguard and constant companion. "Besides, I'm sure I'll have my nanny along to wipe my nose if I get in over my head."

Impa snorted. "Do not test my patience, girl," she said, though without the least indication of heat. "I'll carry you off myself if I see you growing reckless."

Zelda's eyes went wide. "Then...you mean...?"

"Could I stop you if I wished, 'little princess?'" Impa asked quietly.

"If you found me in three minutes," she quipped back. Then she threw her arms around Impa and hugged her fiercely. "Thank you," she whispered.

Impa shook her head. "Don't thank me yet. If you are truly going to do this thing, you'll find that your training has hardly even begun." Still, she patted Zelda on the back. "Zelda, I know we have these memories, but they are not ours. You, the you that is here, now, has never faced true battle or bloodshed."

Zelda nodded, trying to ignore the butterfly storm in her belly. "I know. It doesn't matter. _He needs me._ I - I have to do this, Impa. I have to."

"Well then." Impa slowly disentangled herself from her charge. "I suppose we should tell the Hero." She regarded Zelda carefully. "You must realize he will not be at all happy to see you endanger yourself."

"I do," Zelda replied solemnly. "I'll explain it to him. He'll understand." She frowned slightly. "Well, he'll accept it, anyway." The princess knew Impa well enough to know when she was carefully saying nothing. Zelda's expression hardened. _I have to deal with it. So can he._

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"BROTHER!" Darunia boomed, gripping Link in one of his bone-crushing Goron hugs. Link had never been so glad of the Golden Gauntlets.

"Brother Darunia," he gasped. Navi blinked in alarm over his head. The mighty Goron chuckled sheepishly and released him.

"It is so good to see you again! Goro-Link has been looking forward to your return," the Goron Elder Brother said happily. Above them, Goron City hummed with life, Din's mighty children of stone and fire rolling, digging and trading vigorously. "I must say, you've been visiting most regularly of late." The Sage of Fire paused before they emerged into the city, looking the Hero over with a penetrating eye. "Your exploits are renowned across Hyrule, but I can see them etched in your living form. You seem half-Goron yourself, muscles like stone and strength like Din's Fire itself."

Link rubbed the back of his neck and smiled shyly. "I'm just doing what I can. I'm glad you approve, Brother."

Darunia nodded seriously. "Indeed I do, Hero, but it occurs to me that it has been a mere week since your last visit, where once you came with the new moon as reliably as a light clock." They walked out into the bottom level of the city, Gorons smiling and waving to the pair. Link waved back slightly. _Gods. I will never get used to this,_ he thought in amazement.

#Well _get_ used to it, Hero!# Navi 'pathed back to him happily. #You deserve it!#

#The gods chose me to do a job. I'm doing it. That's all,# Link replied, a touch defensive. He turned to Darunia. "It's been over eleven months since the Forest Temple. I, well, I've got a feeling."

Darunia nodded. "Ah. I do recall you visiting this often immediately after you saved the Kokiri." He looked in the direction of the caldera, smile vanishing. "Your intuition serves you well, Brother Hero. The volcano has been angry of late."

"Angry?" Navi blurted, darting back under Link's hat and peering out nervously from beneath the rim.

"Indeed." They walked up to the next level, Darunia plucking a bomb and chewing on it absently. Link froze briefly before he realized the Goron elder had torn off the 'fuse' with his teeth first. _I'll never get used to that either,_ he thought while Darunia nodded to younger Gorons. "I fear that some fell power calls to Volvagia. He might even return to life."

"Or unlife," Link muttered darkly. "Darunia, you do remember...?" The Sage of Fire nodded. "I have the Megaton Hammer. The moment you see that thing, just say the word and I'll knock it out of the sky again."

"Hmph." Darunia scowled. "Ganondorf tricked me last time. I'll find our own Hammer, then we will crush Volvagia together."

Images of the Fairy Bow and Boomerang vanishing filled his mind suddenly. "Brother, you remember when we went into the Dodongo Caverns together last year? The Bomb Bag, and what we told you?"

At that, Darunia looked down to Link, then laughed. "Ah, but I do. I have consulted with the Sage of Time on this matter. She believes that you must be a certain distance from the object to send it through these so-called time streams. I will take Volvagia from one end of his lair, as will you from the other. He will not have a prayer against our might combined!"

Finally, Link grinned. "You've really thought this out, huh, Darunia?"

"Of course!" Darunia boomed in his friendly way. "I am a Sage, you know."

"Big BRUDDA!" a squeaky child's voice - at least, as much as any Goron could squeak - echoed around them, and a thigh-high rock made a wobbly roll to their side. It sprang into a waist-high Goron, who immediately mimicked his father's emphatic embrace, albeit with far less danger to Hylian life and limb.

"Goro-Link!" Link laughed. "What is that ribbon on your head?"

"Is my _hero_ hat!" Goro-Link said proudly, straightening to give himself as much height as he could, placing his hands on his hips, and throwing his head back. The green strip of cloth he had literally tacked on to his head swung limply for a moment. Darunia covered his mouth, and Navi lost her battle with a case of the giggles. Link's jaw ached from not joining her, and the fairy dove back into his hat to avoid embarrassing the child. "No one stop Link the Hero!" The boy drew a sandstone sword, reminding Link of wooden blades with which he'd slain the mightiest monsters his imagination could conjure as a child, and thrust it into the air. Then he looked up at Link and started bouncing on his feet. "Wanna seed! Wanna seed!"

Link couldn't help it. He chuckled. "You mean 'steed,' Goro-Link?"

"Yeah! Yeah! Horsy-ride, pease Link, _peeease?"_ Link laughed outright at that, picking up the young Goron and placing him on his shoulders.

Darunia laughed as well. "You treat the Hero as well as he does Epona, you hear, son?" he called out, the city echoing with his voice.

"Ay-yup!" Goro-Link said. "Yah!" Link snorted, then took off. Goro-Link swung at imaginary villains, then pulled out a stone hammer that couldn't have been bigger than Link's hand and attacked 'Volvagia.' "Bad dragon go boom!" he laughed, and Link 'reared' back so the child could hold up his hammer in triumph.

A _real_ roar echoed through the city. The entire mountain shook. "Great Din!" Darunia shouted.

"Volvagia!" Goro-Link cried fearfully, clutching Link's head briefly. Trembling, the child still asked, "We go fight dragon?"

Link carefully put the young Goron down. "And they gave me the Triforce of Courage," he said, rubbing the boy's stony head. "Your father and I are going to go fight the dragon. See those Gorons?" he asked, pointing to a knot of the rock-people coordinating the retreat to the more heavily reinforced areas, which clearly served as shelters. "You go with them and make sure they don't panic, okay?"

Goro-Link nodded solemnly. "Count in me!" he insisted, rolled himself up, and wobbled towards the group Link had pointed to.

Darunia laid a hand on Link's shoulder with surprising gentleness. "You are good with children, my friend." Then he smiled broadly. "Then again, I suppose that's to be expected!"

"The youngest true Kokiri is at least a hundred," Link replied wryly. "Come on, Brother," he said, a grim smile on his face. He gestured, and the Megaton Hammer appeared in his hands. "I know your people eat stone, but I have a sudden craving for dragon steak."

"Spoken like a true Goron warrior!" Darunia boomed with pride and good humor, then led the way toward the Temple. "You have your Tunic?"

Again Link gestured, and green swirled away, replaced with red in the exact same instant. _It's still kind of loose, but at least it works now,_ he thought with relief, tucking some extra fabric into his belt. "You okay, Navi?"

"Yeah, but I think I'll stay in here until you need me anyway," she replied from the safety of his hat.

Link nodded. "I've got to ask Zelda how that works." He slapped his forehead. "Zelda. I'd better contact her. She'll kill me if I don't let her know what's going on." Darunia chuckled and nodded, and Link played Zelda's Lullaby. #Zelda? Can you hear me?#

#Link!# she replied happily, but her mind quickly grew serious as she sensed his grim readiness. #The Fire Temple?#

Link nodded as he and Darunia exited the city, entering the searing fury that was Death Mountain Crater. #Darunia's with me, so I've got backup. I just didn't want you to worry.#

#That's sweet,# Zelda replied, and Link sensed her smiling. He also sensed something else, a secret satisfaction. It worried him. #I'm sure the Fire Temple will be no problem at all.#

_Um._ Link nodded. #Good. Thanks. I'm sure we'll manage.#

#So am I,# Zelda said cryptically. #Gods be with us all.# With that, her mind was gone.

"Look out!" Navi cried, and Link leaped backwards. Three dodongos landed in front of the Hero and Sage, and Navi immediately flew above one of their tails.

"Hah!" Darunia shouted with savage glee. "The King of Evil is desperate if he thinks these meager forces will slow us!" He ignored the dodongo's flames and crushed its mouth shut with one mighty punch. It flailed around briefly, then fell still, exploding in Dark Fire.

"Maybe, but this didn't happen before," Link muttered, dodging around the dodongo's flame and easily destroying it with the Megaton Hammer. "I don't like it."

The third dodongo snapped its vicious jaws at Darunia, and to Link's surprise, the Goron Sage stepped back warily, bringing up his hands in a defensive stance. "You have changed what was," he said reasonably. "It is only logical that small things would change along with the great."

Link nodded, then leaped at the thing from behind. Again, one deadly blow reduced his foe to scattering motes of debased mana. "You okay, Brother?"

Darunia nodded. "Oh, certainly. Dodongo flames are of no consequence to a Goron, but their jaws chew through stone even more readily than ours." He brushed some ash off his shoulders. "Thanks to you, however, it never came close."

Link nodded. "Let's go, then." They strode down to the Bolero of Fire platform and the Temple entrance.

There, waiting for them, were Sheik and Impa, the Sage of Shadow standing there with her arms folded, as Link always remembered her, and her apprentice leaning insouciantly on a boulder. Sheik wore the familiar Sheikah symbol over her chest, but it no longer covered her face, and the wrappings were all missing save for the one that served as a sort of hat. Few would mistake that lithe azure figure for a man's. "Z-_Sheik?"_ the Hero burst out. "What in Farore's name are you doing here?"

Sheik's confident demeanor melted in the caldera's fury. "It is something that grows over time...a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes stronger over time..." she said slowly and evenly.

Link scowled. _I'm not in the mood for this._ "I appreciate what you're trying to do...Sheik...but I know the songs, and this inferno is no place for Sheikah." He turned to Impa. "I'm amazed that you let - him - do this." _At least her features are _somewhat_ different,_ he thought with relief. _I hope that hair is magic and not a quick slice, though, or this disguise is going to last exactly until we get back to the palace._

"Her," Sheik said, almost apologetically. Darunia coughed into his hand.

"I had little choice, Hero of Time," Impa replied, only a hint of regret in her tone. "It was accompany her, let her run off on her own, or lock her away so even a Sheikah could not escape. This was the best choice."

Link's hands tightened on the Hammer until his fingers ached. _Din sear it all! The one person I don't want within miles of this horror, and..._ He locked eyes with Sheik. They were the familiar vivid red, but otherwise, he realized with a shock, they were _her_ eyes. Defiant, yes, but also pleading for him to understand. _How could I have not known? Those eyes...the same eyes, red or blue..._ He could never refuse those eyes. Never. _Din burn me._ All the same, he matched her gaze for gaze. "You follow my lead, stay in the shadows, hit from a distance and for the love of Nayru, watch out for the drops. There's a nasty four-level fall from the Temple's peak." He shuddered at the memory, then hefted the Megaton Hammer. "Let's go," he said reluctantly, and strode into the Fire Temple.

"I defer," Sheik said with light amusement, "to your wisdom, Hero."

"Experience," he corrected through gritted teeth. Sheik nodded, her smile hidden only by the tilt of her head. _Gods be good. This is going to be harder than I thought._

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The keese had been simplicity itself. This room, though...this gigantic chamber with the broken bridge... _Are they right?_ Zelda wondered, suddenly horrified. _Should I be here? I can't let him do this alone, but I can't be a burden to him, either. I can't be._ She looked around, the Goron fabric woven into the inside of her suit protecting her from the heat, but watching the cavern boil with monsters as much as lava gave her genuine pause.

Sheik straightened. _No. I can do this._ "What do you suggest, Hero?"

Link frowned in thought, looking behind them. "Last time, Darunia went off to prevent Volvagia from escaping, but..."

"Have no fear on that account, Brother," Darunia replied lightly. "He hungers to feast on us, but as you said, it is we who shall dine on dragon tonight!" He laughed. "Volvagia will not leave until he can face us. It is we two he was reborn to destroy, the Sage of Fire and the Hero." Link nodded to himself while Darunia continued. "Shall we go up? The key to his room lies on our level, but my tribe's Megaton Hammer awaits us at the Temple's peak."

"To the peak, then." Link led the way across the bridge, leaping across its gap with an agility a Sheikah could envy. "I should avoid entering the room with you, Darunia."

"That would probably be best -" Sheik began.

"DOWN!" Link roared, charging toward her with the Hookshot forming in his hand. Sheik immediately rolled forward, bouncing to her feet behind the Hero. Three quick pops, and three burning keese had exploded into smoky mana. "To the door! NOW!"

"Why..." Sheik's eyes went wide, Darunia swore something she didn't understand, and even Impa hissed through her teeth. A gigantic lizard-like skeleton was emerging from the lava. "What evil is this?" she asked, already obeying his command.

"It's King Dodongo!" Link shouted, throwing bombs at the monster. "That's it's corpse!"

"As if we lacked for troubles!" Darunia boomed, throwing the door open. "Quickly!" Impa and Sheik darted through, Link following after the creature's mouth slammed into his shield, throwing him in. The Hero landed on his feet, however, apparently unhurt. The huge undead thing snapped at them in fury at its revenge denied, and Sheik imagined the empty sockets glaring at Link hatefully.

Link merely laughed at the creature. "Looks like that diet you're on still isn't enough," he quipped, saluting the thing jauntily, then slammed the door in its face. It roared in fury. He turned to the others, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling that blasted smile of his. "Well, as long as none of us fall down there, we don't have to worry about that ugly beast again."

Darunia folded his arms. "I would not be so sure, Brother. We may have to pass through the chamber again."

"Sure, but as long as we're quick, he shouldn't be a problem," Link said. "Anyway, that block is our ride." He pointed with his Hookshot at the huge cube near the top of the room.

Darunia nodded and rolled up and over the fence, then pushed the block onto the jet of lava in the center of the room. Sheik tried to keep her eyes from widening as the block shot into the air, then fell back to the floor. "Are they all like this?" she asked faintly.

Link snorted. "This? Sheikah, this is nothing." He used his Hookshot to fly to the top of the fence, balanced easily there, then jumped lightly down to the block when it touched the ground. Darunia watched placidly while the Hero rode it to the next floor.

"You wanted to come," Impa whispered to her evenly, then used her chain to fly right over the fence and land on the block herself. She rode it up without the slightest hesistation.

_I can do this._ Sheik grimaced and drew out her own chain, then latched on to the fence and performed nearly the same acrobatic maneuver her mentor had. By design, however, she landed well short of the lava jet. "Not so bad," she said quietly.

Darunia beamed at her. "You move well, little Shiekah. Impa has long sought to rebuild her secret tribe. You do her proud."

Sheik blushed. "I wish that were true. I fear becoming a burden to her, or worse, to the Hero." Before Darunia could respond, she leaped onto the block the moment it landed. "I will not let that happen." She crouched on the block as it shot into the air, then rolled forward the moment it came to 'rest' in the floor above. Sheik stood, turned and watched it fall again. "wow."

"Yeah, it's kind of jarring the first time, but it's really amazing, isn't it?" Link said from behind her. Her blush returned, deeper than before. Sheik was grateful she faced away from him in that moment.

"We must press on," Impa said calmly once Darunia had reached them with a whoop of triumph. "There is much of the Temple left to explore."

It was slow going at first, Link watching all of them carefully as they wended their way through puzzles, mazes of flame and stone alike, and deadly creatures in every direction. Together, they tore through Ganondorf's monsters with ease. Link's experience combined with Darunia's knowledge of the Temple allowed them to make good time once they grew accustomed to one another. By then, Sheik was proud of how she acquitted herself.

Link paused as they reached another wall of flame, the crystal below them seeming to pulse with anticipation. "The Megaton Hammer is up there," he said, pointing at the mesh. Sheik looked at it. Anyone could climb it with ease, once the fire was dealt with; for a Sheikah, it would be as easy as walking. "I'll deactivate the flames. There's a tricky wall-walk to get up to it, so be careful."

"Wall-walk?" Darunia asked, then chuckled. "Oh, I am sorry, Link. We Gorons use such tracks as shortcuts." Link sighed and shook his head, but he smiled as he did.

"It will not be a problem, Hero," Impa said simply. "We will let you know when Darunia has the Hammer." Link nodded and activated the crystal, and the trio easily ascended to the Fire Temple's apex. Darunia rolled straight up the mesh, while Impa and Sheik scrambled up easily.

Sheik looked into the vast shaft that led all the way down the Temple, eyes widening. Far below, King Dodongo's remains lashed about furiously. "He fell down that?" she whispered.

"The Hero is strong!" Darunia laughed. Then he curled up and easily rolled along the wall top. "Now, Impa!" he called the instant he sprang to his feet. Impa stepped onto the switch, and the circle of flames around the chest vanished. Darunia thumped the top of the chest. He reached in when it opened, hefting the Hammer with one hand and grinning broadly.

His grin vanished with the Hammer, the swirl of light exactly as Link described. Darunia looked at his empty fist, nonplused. "Impa?" he asked dubiously. "I believe you should contact the Sage of Time."

"I will do that," she drawled. #Zelda?#

Sheik blushed and looked away. #I...do not know. If Link is the one to send them back, then his presence should be necessary. If he is not, they should already be gone. Perhaps a Sage can retrieve the artifacts for my counterpart - it may be necessary for the Temple Sage to take it, or any Sage might be able to send them. Perhaps Link need only be in the Temple, or the chest need only be opened. This is temporal theory beyond anything in my knowledge as Sage of Time. Frankly, I thought the Hero's touch was required, but I considered it best to be cautious. Apparently, I was not cautious enough.# She grimaced. #I suspect the Arbiter's handiwork, myself.#

#You cannot be expected to know everything, child,# Impa replied soothingly. #The other items will not be particularly valuable in duplicate, at least not for our purposes. We will deal with Volvagia as we are.# She looked up. "Our apologies, Darunia, but even Zelda does not know how or why such a thing happened. She suspects the Arbiter's handiwork, however."

Sheik nodded, relieved. Darunia descended. "Link! You may come up!" he called, then turned to Impa. "Tell the princess that she need not be ashamed. We are all on unstable ground here, and Time is no strong earth, but shifting sand." He pounded his fists together and grinned. "Nor does it matter here, for Volvagia shall fall by our hands!"

"No Megaton Hammer, then?" Link asked, his head popping up. He looked...guilty, somehow.

"What difference does it make?" Darunia turned his grin on the Hero. "You felled Volvagia alone. Together, we shall shatter him to pebbles!"

Link nodded, then walked over and held out the Megaton Hammer. "Definitely. Now, though, this is yours, Brother."

"That..." the Goron elder's mighty hand pulsed briefly. "That is a mighty gift, Hero."

"No gift, Darunia," Link replied. "I borrowed this long ago. With your Hammer gone, I'm just returning it to its rightful owner."

Darunia gazed at the Hammer a moment longer, then laughed and slapped Link on the back. The Hero staggered. "Magnificent! I think not, however. Return it when Ganondorf is beaten, if you wish. Let the strength of the Gorons flow through you, and teach Volvagia what it means to challenge my Sworn Brother!"

Link smiled shyly and rubbed the back of his neck. Sheik forced her heart to beat normally. It was easier this time, though not nearly as much so as she'd hoped. _Still, it hasn't been as bad as I thought. I think I'm getting the hang of this._ The descent was far simpler than the climb, and the Sheikah apprentice felt more confident with each monster she felled.

Then she met her first Like-Like.

"What in Farore's name..." Sheik stared in amazement at the slow, strangely pulsing creature before them. She shook her head and chuckled. The flying tiles were shattered all around them, and the only 'threat' that remained was this bizarre, translucent thing.

"Sheik, that thing is a Like-Like," Link said warily, sheathing his blade and summoning his Megaton Hammer, "and it's a lot more dangerous than it looks."

"You cannot be serious," she replied incredulously. It looked like a gelatin mold with a toothless maw, pulsing slowly enough to make a Torch Slug seem like a falcon. With a flourish, she summoned half a dozen blades into one hand. "Let us see how this beast deals with a diet of Sheikah blades."

"That should be effective," Impa agreed slowly, Link circling the creature and Darunia staring at it with distaste, "but only if you - keep your distance! Sheik!"

Sheik had already been in the air when Impa shouted her warning, and she realized the creature's mouth was pulsing at her, but the apprentice Sheikah was confident that she could kill the monster before it could do anything to her. She fired one needle into its mouth, then a second. Then, with a speed it hadn't remotely displayed before, it shot upward and swallowed her whole!

_Gah!_ Sheik thought, disgusted. The thing's innards were as gelatinous as she'd expected. She tried to push her way back out. To her horror, she couldn't move! It pulled the blades from her hand, the wrappings from her hair and the Sheikah tabard from her body. Each pulse felt like a fist clenching her entire body. Worst of all, she couldn't breathe. _Fool girl! They warned you!_ She could hear nothing but the monster's pulsing, but through horrible distortion she could see the three of them dancing around her captor, unable to attack for fear of hurting her. All at once, Link dove at the monster, golden arms reaching in to her. She recovered just enough movement to reach back - the thing seemed to find her less appealing a meal than her blades or clothes - and he pulled. At that moment, the Like-Like spat her out.

"WAAAH!" Link shouted as they went flying, Sheik landing on his stomach as he hit the floor several feet away, hard.

"Nayru! Link, are you all right?" she cried, rolling off his body and checking him over quickly. Impa was already firing needles into the Like-Like's amorphous body, and Darunia was pitching bombs into it.

Link grunted and nodded, standing, summoning the Megaton Hammer again and hefting it with determination. "Get back," he said bluntly, and Sheik did. "SEI-YAH!" he roared, crashing down on the monster with the weapon's full might. The Like-Like collapsed into a puddle of melting ooze, wheezing, then dissipated entirely. Much to Sheik's relief, her blades, scarf and tabard remained, unharmed and even unstained.

She pulled her stolen clothing back on quickly and sent her knives into her own fairy space, then turned to the Hero. Sheik wanted to sink into the floor and vanish. "Link...I'm sorry..."

To her amazement, he grinned at her. "Don't feel bad. My first time in a Like-Like was no fun, either, but they're more annoying than dangerous. You have to get swallowed an awful lot of times for them to be a real threat." He gestured with a nod of his head to the door. "Come on. We've got a lot more temple to get through."

Sheik nodded and followed. _I'm not going to let that happen again._ She snuck a look at Impa. Her mentor didn't return her gaze, picking up her own knives and banishing them with a simple wrist movement. Sheik's heart fell into her feet. "Lady Impa, I know I should have-"

"That was reckless and foolish," Impa said curtly, still not looking at her. "Had that been a more powerful opponent, your life would have been in real danger."

"I'm sorry, _sensei,_" Sheik whispered, looking at the floor. "It won't happen again."

Impa looked at the door, only a narrowing of her eyes betraying any emotion. "Good." She strode onward, Sheik following obediently. They encountered their second Flame Dancer, which fell quickly to their combined power, then passed what looked like an open prison cell. Link looked at it with disgust.

"Brother?" Darunia asked, surprised at the sight. Sheik looked at Impa with a raised eyebrow, but Impa merely shrugged.

"The first time I arrived here, the meditation rooms we passed had been turned into prison cells for the Goron people. Only a tiny handful were still free." Link's hands tightened on the Hammer, and Sheik heard the creak of stressed leather from his gauntlets. "This time, Ganondorf will never have that chance."

Darunia nodded. "That I remember, but why in Din's name is it here, now?"

#Gods be good,# Sheik 'pathed to Impa, forcing her face to become an expressionless mask. #This must be what the Arbiter was warning us about. The Time energies...#

"Zelda has contacted me," Impa said. #Good work, child.# She looked at the room impassively. "She believes that this is the work of the time streams intermingling."

Link looked at the cell in horror. Slowly, he pulled out the Ocarina and played the Song of Time. The cage vanished in the now-familiar swirl of Time mana, replaced by a small stone cylinder that looked like a very short tree stump. It was almost exactly the diameter of a rolling Goron; presumably, one could 'lie down' here. Sheik smiled faintly. "Well done, Hero," she said as evenly as she could.

"Tell Zelda the same thing," Link replied, smiling at her. Sheik looked at him for a moment, puzzled, before she realized he was saying that _Zelda_ had done well. This time, she had to force herself not to smile like a silly little girl. Her glee vanished quickly, though, as they approached the great chamber that once held Volvagia's remains - and now, Volvagia itself. "Everyone ready?" the Hero asked. They all nodded, Sheik and Impa arming themselves with their needle-blades. Link took the golden key and threw the door open, and together they strode in, leaping to the die-like platform in the center of the vast chamber.

Behind them, the lava devoured the block of floor they'd leaped from. Then, in an explosion of fire, the serpentine lava dragon exploded from the central hole. Link gaped in shock, however, when what looked like all the burning keese in the world erupted from the other eight holes! "Farore!" he swore, pulling out his boomerang for a moment. He grimaced at the sight of it, comically small in his hand, then seemed to transform it into his long Hookshot with a flick of his wrist. "Start shooting and don't stop until there isn't anything moving but us!"

"What about Volvagia?" Darunia bellowed, clapping his hands and sending keese flying by the dozen. The dragon flew back down into its warren, and bursts of lava shot from several holes. Sheik and Impa fired needles in every direction, bringing down at least as many keese as Darunia with far greater range, but there seemed to be no end to them.

"You worry about those keese! I'll worry about Volvagia!" Link shot keese as well, in fewer numbers but with greater accuracy while guided by his loyal fairy. The instant one of the lava bursts lasted longer than the others, he leaped forward and raised the Megaton Hammer. Volvagia swept his head around, but Link evaded and slammed the great Goron weapon into the evil thing's head twice. He leaped away again when it swung its head around, apparently in pain, and ducked back down.

Sheik kept one eye on the Hero and the other on killing any keese that came near him. #Impa, they're everywhere, and there's no end to them! What do we do?#

#Do as the Hero said - keep killing them!# Impa rolled and dodged, her needle storms devastating the keese wholesale. #There is no such thing as infinite enemies, remember that.#

#O-okay...# Sheik darted across the battlefield, looking far more confident than she felt, as Link repeated his whack-a-Vol battle with the dragon. The third time it stuck its head out, however, it didn't stop, surging into the air above them. Mercifully, any keese it passed were torn to pieces by its jagged scales and lashing body.

The dragon breathed fire at the heroes in a huge cone of death, but Link rolled in front of its mouth and brought up his shield, grunting as waves of flame washed around him. "Never thought I'd look forward to the Water Temple," he muttered as their foe flew towards another hole. The Hero looked up in surprise then.

As he did, Sheik's heart skipped a beat when a flock of keese flew right at his back. "Watch out!" she shouted in time with Navi, and leaped between them and his back. A storm of needles flew from her hand, shredding the infuriating winged rats. She turned to check on the Hero, only to find that he had spun his blade to do much the same thing to several keese flying at _her_ back; his shout had been lost in hers and Navi's. She grinned sheepishly at him. "Teamwork?" Sheik asked.

"You bet," Link replied with a fond smile. Then he looked down, of all things, and dodged forward, carrying Sheik with him. A boulder crashed into the ground where they'd been standing. "Watch out for their shadows!" he shouted, and all four of them dodged the miniature avalanche. To Sheik's amazement, nearly all the keese were dead. _Impa was right. Which, of course, is about as unreliable as the sun rising in the east. Why am I surprised?_ Sheik thought dryly. Once more, Volvagia rose from the platform, but this time, all four were ready. The evil dragon found himself immediately in the center of a storm of knives, Goron fists, and the wrath of the Megaton Hammer.

Suddenly, the monster ignored their blows, screaming in despair as it shot towards the ceiling once more. It curled in agony, twisting as Dark Fire consumed it from the tail up, reducing Volvagia to nothing but a skeleton. Sections of rib fell to the floor around them, its head landing right next to Link. He let the Hammer's head fall to the ground and rested on the handle, taking long, deep breaths. Then he spun, brought the Hammer up, and turned the skull into dust with one blow. Above them, the Fire Medallion descended briefly, then vanished.

Sheik sat on the ground heavily, rubbing her back where keese had bitten her. "And you did this by yourself?" she asked quietly.

"There weren't all the keese in the world last time," Link replied between gulps of air. Meanwhile, where the skull had been, a heart-shaped field of power formed. "You take it, Sheik," he said, gesturing vaguely at the energy. "A body can only hold so much of that energy, and I reached my limit in Termina years ago."

Sheik looked at the field with just a touch of trepidation. _That came from Volvagia, didn't it?_ she wondered. Still, if Link said it was safe...she walked over and carefully placed her hand inside it. The results were dramatic. Energy filled her, the life of Farore, the strength of Din and the blessing of Nayru. Her wounds vanished, even the rips in her Shiekah garb sealing. "That was - amazing!"

Link nodded as the orange-gold circle appeared where Volvagia had emerged for the last time. "Yeah. It is."

"Arbiter," Impa said simply, gesturing to the rising figure in the gateway. They all looked to him.

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"You have now seen that there is no escaping the need to seal the streams," the Arbiter said grimly. It was the first real emotion Link had heard from the strange figure. His tone became neutral again immediately. "The paradox of worlds and times merging can be healed, but only with courage and sacrifice. You cannot cheat the will of the gods."

_Din burn you!_ Link thought with a snarl, suddenly sick of the figure. "We weren't cheating! We were going to send the Hammer through the moment Volvagia was dead!"

"That is unacceptable," the Arbiter replied. The feather pattern in his cape seemed to ripple briefly. "You have all the powers and weapons you will need to defeat Ganondorf's minions. When the time comes, you shall draw forth the Blade of Evil's Bane; the rest, you have already been given. The weapons and power remaining belong not to you, but the Zelda who gifted you to this past."

"Then take them!" Link shot back. "Why in Farore's name do we have to find them all?"

"Indeed!" Darunia roared in kind. "You presume much, to claim the Hammer of the Gorons when it was we who did the hunting!"

"You can leave them where they lay, if you desire," the Arbiter replied. "They will be yours when the time streams match in flow. However," he continued, "you will deny them to that other world. It is merely not permitted for you to have them before then."

"And we have to fight through half a temple to send them," Link replied wearily. "Great." Sheik stepped towards him, worry filling her eyes. "I'm okay," he said quickly. "I know my duty." He stood straight. It was harder than he'd imagined. He was more tired than he thought he'd be. _Zelda. All I wanted was for you to be safe._ There wasn't anywhere that was safe any more, though. "Let's go." He walked toward the Arbiter, who sank into the gate. The others followed.

Once again, they emerged before the Spirit Temple. Again, a great pillar arose from the sand, this one with a replica of the Fire Medallion surmounted by the Phoenix wings. This time, however, a great section of wall arose beyond them, and masonry grew from the new wall as if alive to attach it to the Temple.

"Link?" Sheik whispered. "Let's get out of here."

Link merely nodded. When they were all touching him, he played the Prelude of Light, and they were gone.

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"You did WHAT?" King Nohansen roared, towering above his daughter. Behind him, a fireplace crackled as if in agreement with his wrath.

Zelda stood tall before her father. Impa, as much as she agreed with His Majesty, was proud beyond measure of her charge. "I aided the Hero in his need. I'll not claim that I made no mistakes," she said, slightly chagrined, "but Sheik guided him once, and she will do so again."

"You will do as you are told!" the king bellowed, slapping the table beside him. _I can see how he became Darunia's Sworn Brother,_ Impa thought with distant amusement. "Princess or no, Sage or no, you are the only heir to this throne, and if anything should befall you, the kingdom would fall into chaos!" He glared at her. "Lady Veran would mourn you publicly and toast Ganondorf in private! General Onox would all but dance on your grave!"

"And if anything befalls the Hero, what hope have we?" she replied calmly. "Veran and Onox would have true reason to mourn then. As would we all." A flicker of light reflected off of Zelda's right hand, and Impa's heart froze - _No, it was merely an errant ray of sunlight,_ she saw. She hoped.

Daphnes took in a deep breath...then released it. The last Sheikah could almost hear him counting to ten. Quickly. "Zelda, you are not the exiled rebel you once were. You are the Crown Princess and the last Nohansen heir. Now. There will be no more of this foolishness."

"Will you send Impa in my place?" Zelda asked evenly. The sitting room, its chairs and books normally framing tranquility, crackled with the intensity of their bladeless duel.

Daphnes' eyes widened. "Your bodyguard? Madness! You'd be better off out there with-" He coughed into his hand. Zelda smiled. "Zelda," he said, trying to sound soothing (_though the clenched teeth ruin the effect,_ Impa thought), "you cannot do this thing. I understand that the Hero is your best friend. I am all too aware how much rests on his young, slender shoulders."

"Not so slender, any more," Impa noted calmly. Both royals looked at her in amazement. "Nabooru has been admiring them," she explained evenly. Nohansen slapped his forehead, and Zelda's expression went flatter than a dead Like-Like.

"My _point,"_ Daphnes said, teeth still pressed together, "is that we cannot risk Zelda in this manner! It's intolerable! It's unacceptable!"

"If the situation were any less dire," Zelda replied, "I would agree, father. However, Ganondorf is adapting to Link's knowledge and power with every passing year." Impa saw then why she'd willingly worn one of her finest dresses; the voluminous skirting hid well how her legs were shaking. "The Hero needs our help. Our vassals and allies need our help, help we are sworn to give."

"Help I am sworn to give!" Daphnes fired back. "I will choose who to send to the Hero's aid." The fury faded quickly, worry settling into his eyes. "Zelda, I will not say that I bear no pride for your courage. Your mother, I'm sure, would be proud as well." He took Zelda's hand. "She is gone, now, and you are all that remains of her. Of the royal family."

Zelda's gaze never wavered. "Find someone who can best me," she replied, "someone who will accompany the Hero faithfully, and I will gladly stand aside."

Daphnes released her hand in shock. "I - well!" he chuckled. "That, I suppose, is reasonable enough."

Zelda grasped his hand again. "Done!" she said, shaking the king's firmly.

"Sire, you walked into that trap like a rabbit hopping into the wolf's jaws," Impa said with rueful pride. "I can best her. Link can as well, most likely. Darunia, she would struggle against. I would pit her against any other you could find to challenge her."

The king scowled furiously. "I cannot ask Darunia to leave his people!"

Zelda laughed. "I know," Impa said evenly.


	8. Part 1, Ch 5: Fourteen: Water

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Five: Fourteen - Water**

Link rode to Lon Lon, a bag of rupees jingling from Epona's saddle horn. "Well, that's the last one for the week, old girl," he said, patting the faithful horse on the neck. Epona snorted at him, and Link laughed, jumping down. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" He took out an apple. "I should know not to mess with a woman's age. Does this make up for it?" Epona glanced at him, then bit into the apple enthusiastically. _Whew. I don't think this is what they mean by an apple a day._

Epona nudged him, staggering Link slightly, then followed him placidly into the ranch. "Fairy boy!" Malon called with a wave, running up and glomping him excitedly. "You've been a stranger too long!"

"Hey, I've been by," he said, handing her the fat purse. She whistled. "There's for that last batch of deliveries. Business has been good."

Malon shrugged. "I suppose. I just wish so much of it weren't arrows and war scrolls and such. Makes me wonder how long it's gonna be before Needlenose makes his move."

"Wh-Needlenose?" Link made a cough-like noise, caught between laughing and choking. "You don't mean Ganondorf!"

"Why, sure!" Malon laughed outright. "The minstrels have been making fun of the Great King of Evil," she said, intoning the last four words with deep mock-seriousness, "and Needlenose is their favorite 'pet name' for him." The ranch mistress giggled. "I hear he doesn't like it much."

"Neither would I," Link replied dryly. "I hope the other Gerudo don't take offense. They're touchier than the rattlers." He led Epona to the stables, rubbing her side. Malon whistled, and the door opened. Once they were in, he pulled off the saddle and the two got down to brushing the mare thoroughly. Epona took it as nothing less than her due, leaning into their ministrations like a particularly large cat.

Malon put down her currycomb and pulled out the purse, weighing it in her hand. She turned to Link, eyes narrowing. "Hey, fairy boy."

"Yes?" he called back innocently.

"This purse feels a little...fat."

Link shrugged. "Like I said, business has been good."

Malon stomped over, grabbed his arm, opened his hand, and shoved a red rupee into it. "Look, it was cute the first time, but you ain't the only one with a sense of honor! Lon Lon Ranch pays an honest day's cash for an honest day's work!" Link stared at her in amazement. "You think you've got too many rupees, give 'em to the beggars!"

"There aren't any more," Link replied. Malon blinked at him in shock. "Even with the Ganondorf situation, Zelda's advice has made Hyrule wealthier than its ever been. Some of the nobles tried to get around her for a while, but she just paid for the shelters and schools out of her own purse until she shamed them into doing it. I don't know why her father stayed out of it..." He shrugged again. "Besides, I don't really need the money." He grinned at her. "You'd be surprised how many mindless monsters have rupees on them."

"Then...then...give them to the Kokiri or Gorons or Zoras! Din, give 'em to the Deku Scrubs, I don't care!" She forced his hand closed. "We're doing fine too, and I won't have anyone saying we short the people who work for us!" She spun away.

Link wilted, his ears drooping. "I - I didn't mean any offense, I swear by the gods," he said softly. Malon simply huffed at him. Even Epona snorted again. Defeated, Link went back to brushing the powerful horse. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he caught Malon peek back at him from over his shoulder. He perked up again, ears wobbling from the sudden motion.

Malon giggled, defeated. "Okay, okay, you win. I don't have a chance against that hangdog look of yours." She winked at him. "Lucky for you I've got my sights set on bagging a knight."

_Whew._ Link laughed back. "Oh, I'd say the knight's the lucky one."

"Watch it, fairy boy, or I just might decide to get _you_ knighted." They laughed together at that. It wasn't long before Malon turned serious again, though. "Is it really true? Zelda actually managed to see that no one's poor any more?"

Link nodded. "Some folks are still struggling, sure," he said, giving Epona one last rub. The horse nodded, then dug into the feed bag with relish. "Even Zelda can only do so much about the weather or bad seasons. The Gerudo raids have been getting worse, not even counting the Temple attacks. The rest, though, well, she makes sure that there's always enough supplies for people in need, and training for anyone who's lost their livelihood to a disaster or raid."

"I'd call a raid that bad a disaster, you ask me," Malon replied, walking alongside him as they headed back out. "She's gonna be a legend, that girl."

Link nodded. "She deserves it," he said quietly. "She can out-shoot anyone short of the Gerudo, she beat everyone who came at her in the King's bizarre challenge, she's one of the smartest, most powerful mages alive, and she's already one of the greatest rulers Hyrule has ever known. Farore, if Marth pesters her for advice one more time..." At that, Malon giggled. Link looked at her seriously as well. "I'm glad she has friends now, though."

"Besides you, you mean," she said, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

"Yeah." Link nodded. "Not that I've ever figured out what you and Zelda and Ruto and Saria talk about when it's just the four of you. Gods, I couldn't talk to anyone that long without going stir-crazy."

"You're a boy," Malon said simply. "You're about the best there is of 'em, but you're still a boy." She grinned as they headed for the kitchen. "Maybe we talk about you all the time."

Link rolled his eyes. "Right. I'm sure I'm endlessly fascinating."

"Hey, the minstrels tell lots of stories about you too, you know," she said, laughing when he gaped. "Trust me, none of them call you 'Needlenose.' I think a minstrel as did'd get lynched! Anyway, Zelda does most of the talking about you. Me and Saria just get all dreamy and girly." She winked at him again.

Link laughed. "Sure." He stopped laughing immediately. "And Princess Ruto?"

"I think Ruto's a little jealous," Malon said, becoming more serious. "Everyone knows you've got eyes for only one girl, and it's sure not Ruto."

"I'm Zelda's Hero," he said quietly, looking away. "I'll always be there for her. Anything else, though-" he looked up. "Farore. At least I got some warning this time..."

"Hey," Malon said, looking up and rubbing her arms. "Is there a chill in the air?"

"Yes." Link gave her a quick, one-armed hug, pulling out the Ocarina with his free hand. "I've got to go. Keep an eye on Epona for me?"

"'For you?'" Malon shoved him playfully. "I let you ride her, and don't you forget it!"

_"Epona_ lets me ride her," Link quipped. "You find anyone else who can, besides you, and I'll be happy to share." With that, he sent the Prelude of Light soaring to the sky. A moment later, he followed it.

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Zelda plucked irritably at her harp, her ancestors' lullaby echoing through her room. _Fourteen months,_ she thought in annoyance. _Fourteen! What is that sadistic despot up to?_ It had taken little convincing to have her father and Onox increase Hyrule's military readiness. Scouts patrolled the borders. The wizards and psychics of their kingdom constantly watched the edges of the Gerudo desert. None of them had learned anything of significance. Seers who peered too deeply into the wastes were found frozen to death in their rooms, and scouts who did the same never returned. Only Link could reach as far as the Gerudo Fortress; even the Gerudo most devoted to their king welcomed the Hero as one of their own. _Strange beyond reckoning,_ Zelda thought, not for the first time. Nabooru couldn't seem to explain it any more than a fish could swimming.

Most other matters were going well, at least. The people were well cared for, limiting Ganondorf's chances at undermining their rule. _As if that were the only reason for doing our duty as nobility,_ she thought angrily, remembering Veran's venom toward her suggestions. With Doc Bandam having yielded his Council seat even more readily than she'd expected, Zelda finally had true authority to implement her ideals and policies. In the princess' personal development, her training with Impa was proceeding as well as could be expected with the increase in her duties, and she had bested every knight and spellcaster Father had sent to challenge her, if some only barely.

_The only reason I won, though, is that none of them were skilled in both._ It had been simple enough to evade the warriors and thrash them with bursts of power, and few sorcerers had taken more than a single blow to fell. Zelda wasn't sure if she could have beaten Onox, but he, too, was ineligible for several reasons, not the least of which...

_"I will not deny it," Onox said darkly, arms folded. "I detest the boy." Most of his fellow councillors looked at each other uncomfortably._

_Zelda had seldom loved her father so much as when thunderheads formed on his brow in that moment. "How dare you?" he demanded. "That Hero has saved this kingdom many times over! Our allies in every direction revere his name!"_

_"You asked for my opinion, Your Majesty," Onox replied coolly. "I gave it. If you do not wish me to be honest, merely say so. I will tender my resignation in the morning."_

_Though she almost challenged him on it, Zelda held her tongue. Daphnes scowled. "Fair enough, Onox, but I find your reaction outrageous all the same. What possible reason can you have for such rancor?"_

_"There is an order to a kingdom," Onox said, going completely cold. "Kings rule, nobles administer, sorcerers and military leaders serve them, then knights and gentry, and finally the yeomen and peasants of the fields. Once, there were serfs below them."_

_"Serfdom was abolished centuries ago," Zelda replied, allowing the heat to touch her voice. "If you long for those dark days, perhaps-"_

_"Zelda," the king said softly, and the princess forced her jaw to click shut. "And you see Link as a threat to this order?"_

_"A threat?" Onox snorted like a bull preparing to charge. "When he acts, he upends the order entirely. Some landless orphan, less than the least peasant, with no home or family, does the work of the knights and mages of Hyrule. His stories spread on the wind, from those he is confirmed to have performed by Darunia himself to outrageous tales of other worlds with giant clocks and falling moons."_

_"And everyone on this world owes their lives to him more times than you can count, Lord General," Zelda retorted hotly. "If you think you have a better candidate to be the Hero of Time, take it up with the goddesses!"_

_"I did not say that he was not...useful," Onox replied slowly, if with some annoyance. "I simply stated my feelings on the matter. I do not speak of my feelings often; now you know why."_

_"Indeed," Minister Potho huffed. "Shall we move on to the next order of business, Your Majesty?"_

In retrospect, Zelda felt she'd been a bit unfair. Onox felt as he felt. He would not have spoken had he not been asked.

_That doesn't stop him from being an ungrateful wretch!_ she thought furiously. Placing the harp carefully on her desk, she sat on the floor, folded her legs, steepled her fingers, and began the First Mind Kata. Onox was barely an annoyance at his worst. She knew what her real worry was.

_Ganondorf._ He was growing more powerful by the day. Stalfos had been spotted in the mountains separating Hyrule from Altea. Poes were increasingly common in outlying areas, rising almost reliably from the sites of Gerudo raids. Rumor had it that there was an entire _army_ of Lizalfos somewhere in the desert, but their numbers had not remotely been confirmed - no surprise, that, given their intelligence woes.

Zelda sighed, giving up the Sheikah Mind Kata as a lost cause, and paced determinedly. All her training, all her skills and gifts and powers, and she _still_ felt powerless against his evil.

She frowned as a cold wind blew into her room through the open window, blinking in amazement at the hints of frost on the metalwork. _Frost? In Highsummer? Nothing natural in that, or I'm a dodongo._ The Sage closed the window with a gesture, her power of mind over matter making the act as simple as a thought, then turned to the door.

It opened, this time not by her will. Link entered with a grim expression. "Your Highness," he said formally, bowing well enough that even the court would have to accept it as proper. Navi emerged and dipped down to hover at the same height as his hat.

She knew she shouldn't have done it, but Zelda couldn't help herself. She cuffed him lightly across his spiky hair. "Don't you ever do that again," she breathed. He looked up, grinning faintly, then stood up straight. He rubbed the back of his neck, making her heart do flip-flops. Navi giggled and zipped back into his hat. _Worse every time..._ she refused to let the thought finish. "What's wrong?"

"That frost tells me you already know, Zel," he said softly, humor fading away. "Ganondorf's moving again."

"Perhaps, but how?" Zelda resumed her pacing. "A cool breeze in Highsummer is hardly an act of terror." She grimaced. "Impa, of course, is unavailable. She had to return to Kakariko to maintain the seals on the Shadow Temple."

"Bongo Bongo," Link said darkly, eyes narrowing.

Zelda snorted. "I'll never get over that name."

"It suits him," Link drawled. "He's one of the most dangerous creatures I've ever fought. Even Sheik was no match for him, and I only barely beat him with the Lens."

"Well, our world's Sheik will be a different story," she insisted.

"Fortunately, we won't have to find out today." Link looked out the window again. "Do you remember what Ganondorf did to the Zoras during his reign?"

Zelda frowned in thought, half-formed memories sorting through her mind. Then it came to her in a rush, and she paled. "Oh no."

Link nodded. "I half-considered not telling you, but Sheik saved Ruto, and...I made a promise."

"I give you _my_ word, my Hero," Zelda replied, putting as much sincerity as she could into her voice, "you will not regret that promise." She performed the necessary kuji-in, and Zelda vanished, replaced by Sheik. He nodded again, this time absently, still looking outside. She walked up to him, retrieving her harp as she did, and placed her hand on his shoulder. After a moment's consideration, he played the Minuet of Forest, and a swirl of green light and the mana of life itself carried them away.

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_Gods, I'm pathetic,_ Link thought miserably as they emerged from the shortcut to Zora's Domain. _I don't know what I'm more afraid of, Zelda facing the Water Temple, or me, facing...me._ He swallowed the moment he was on dry land again, his Zora Tunic drying off almost the instant it was exposed to air. "You okay, Sheik?" he asked, helping her up.

"The Sheikah and Zoras have long been allies," she explained as she let him guide her to the surface. "None who wear the sacred garb of our tribe ever need fear the water."

"Hm." Link raised an eyebrow. _I know exactly who she is this time,_ he thought wryly, _but Sheik still sounds like...Sheik._ He chuckled as they continued up the path. _I suppose I shouldn't mention Like-Likes just now._ The Hero reached the Triforce symbol, and froze as completely as the waterfall before him. "Oh no."

"We are too late to stop Ganondorf," Sheik replied, "but not to undo his evil."

"If we can even get in," Link grumbled. He pulled out the Ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby, hoping that it would work anyway.

The ice trembled for a moment, then cracked, and finally shattered in a perfect triangle. Navi shot out of his hat and stared at the opening in amazement. "Wow," the fairy breathed.

"Indeed," Sheik agreed.

"It still doesn't help the Zoras. Let's go." Link leaped in with Navi, Sheik following. They stared in horror at the Domain. Though they both knew that the Zoras were alive, just dormant, it still looked like a horrible, icy tomb. "Do you know where Ruto was?"

"She was right there," Sheik intoned grimly, pointing at the frozen pool immediately to their left. "She had nearly escaped, allowing me to use Din's Fire to free her without real harm."

"But she's not there now," Navi pointed out.

"We know, Navi," Link said, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. "Keep an eye out." He strode forward, looking around suspiciously. "I am _so_ glad we already cleared out the Ice Cavern and the Kakariko Well."

They crept up the ramp, Navi spinning around the pair. Link knew his paranoia was rubbing off on his old friend, but he couldn't help it. _This place was bad enough the first time,_ he thought darkly. _How in Farore's name did he freeze the waterfall? At least that triangle was a good omen, I hope._ Sheik merely padded along placidly, as unflappable as Link remembered. _She's certainly not the nervous princess in Sheikah's clothing who went into the Fire Temple with me._ That thought was his only comfort. Finally they entered the throne room. Link stopped and stared in horror, Navi swirling in alarm. "Din, Nayru and Farore," he breathed, vapor clouding from his breath. Sheik stepped around him, and froze as well.

King Zora was frozen in red ice on his dais, but below him, where he received visitors, was Ruto, imprisoned in normal ice up to her neck. What little of her was free shivered fiercely, her tears freezing where they hit her prison. She turned to look at them, the effort clearly agonizing, and her eyes widened. "s-so...cold..." she gasped.

Thought vanished from Link's mind. He shot a fire arrow into the nearest torch, stuck a Deku Stick in it, and leaped to Ruto's side, hacking at the ice with the Gilded Sword in his left hand and holding the burning stick to it with his right. "Hang on, Ruto," he said, Sheik already on the other side of the block carving away with her knives, "we'll get you out of there."

To his amazement, Ruto smiled weakly. "...i...know..." she breathed as deeply as her prison allowed. "...the...hero..." Her eyes fluttered.

"No," Sheik said forcefully. "Ruto, talk. About anything. It doesn't matter."

"...beautiful...legs..." Ruto looked into Link's eyes.

_Din sear it, I don't have _time_ to be embarrassed,_ Link thought fiercely. "This isn't working. Stand back, Sheik." He planted the stick in the ice and drew the Megaton Hammer.

Sheik's eyes widened. "Link, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Gods no," he said with a grimace, "but it's all I've got left that won't kill her instantly. Navi, spot for me." The fairy loyally appeared over what looked to both orphan and fairy like the best place to strike.

"...do...it..." Ruto whispered.

He did. With a desperate cry, he brought the Hammer down. The block shattered perfectly, leaving Ruto collapsed in a pile of crushed ice. Link practically teleported to her side, holding her in his arms and rubbing her as vigorously as he dared in her condition. _Thank you, gods!_ he thought, seeing that she wasn't frostbitten - maybe Zoras couldn't be. It didn't matter just then. He pulled out a bottled fairy. "Here. Take this, then open it."

Ruto reached for the bottle, but her hand slid off before she could grip it. "...s'okay...this...not so...bad..." her smile weakened.

"Farore," he swore. Sheik danced around them, the incarnation of energy without release. "Navi, can you get this fairy to heal Ruto instead of trying to affect me?"

Navi bobbed uncertainly for a moment. "Try placing the bottle on her chest," she said quickly. "Then open it."

Link obeyed, carrying her to the torch and laying her on the ground there. _Well, if this doesn't work, I have three more. Next time, though, I bring a potion. You can force-feed someone a potion. Nayru, please._ He pulled the cork.

Navi and the pink fairy swirled in the air, then wove around Ruto in unison, twin trails of light spiraling around the Zora princess. She gasped, feet drumming against the ground, then leaped to her feet. "That was amazing!" she cried.

Then she kissed him full on the lips.

Everything seemed to explode. Link's eyes went wide. He tried to move, but nothing seemed to work. Sheik cleared her throat, loudly.

Slowly, the Zora princess released the Hero, smiling up at him. "Not bad," she said. "You need more practice, though. I would've sworn that was your first _real_ kiss."

"If you're done molesting the Hero," Sheik said sharply, "your people need you."

Ruto whirled on the young Sheikah. "I was showing my gratitude," she said coolly, hands on her hips. _Oboy,_ Link groaned inwardly. "We will need time to save my people, far more than I'd like, but taking this moment to thank Link will hardly do them more harm." She looked away pointedly, striding up the path behind the royal dais. "Come. At least we can help my father and the merchant. We must collect Blue Fire from the Ice Cavern. After that..."

Link frowned. "The Water Temple," he said, his voice trembling just slightly. _Gods be good._

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Sheik knew full well where her attention should be. Of all the Temples he'd faced, none seemed to silence Link more quickly than this one. The others were unpleasant memories. This one...this one, he feared. It was the one danger he'd never confided in her about.

Ironically, she didn't even feel that tiny old wound. Just then, she wasn't Sheik, disguise or no. Zelda was churning in her mind, fury bubbling inside her. _That harpy! I'll throttle her! See how the mighty Zora princess with the strength of ten Hylians likes Sheikah battle arts and the power of a wizard combined!_

Sheik reasserted herself. _Master yourself, woman,_ she insisted to herself. _Courage may not be the lack of fear, but Link barely knows the word's meaning when it comes to his own safety._ She gazed placidly at the puzzle before the trio, Link studying it carefully as Ruto tapped her foot impatiently. _He fears something, here. Something worse than physical danger._

_I should have told him,_ Zelda moaned inwardly. _Sure, we've been mostly kids all this time, but we're hardly too young to express our feelings any more. Nayru, please let them be _our_ feelings._

_Enough!_ Sheik mentally shoved 'Zelda' into a bottle and stoppered it. _Impa would be ashamed! He needs a clear-headed warrior by his side now, not some love-sick child dreaming of fairy tale rescuers._ At that, her mind settled down, only the echo of one memory flickering through the rebellious part of her - Link standing there, looking up with endless depths of relief, as she floated down to the man who had vanquished Ganondorf himself to save her. _Not this time,_ both sides of her thought with grave determination. _He will never again be in danger because of me._

She looked at the room filled with crystal switches and odd sea serpent heads. "I think I've got it," Link said suddenly, and started hitting switches and using the Hookshot to cross from dragon head to dragon head. "Gods, it's been too long. I can't remember half this stuff any more."

"Don't feel bad, Link," Navi said encouragingly. "Even if you do forget, you beat these weird things once, you can do it again!"

Ruto smiled in reflected triumph, but Sheik put a hand on her shoulder. "A word, Your Highness?" she asked calmly. "May we have a moment, Hero?"

Link's eyes flickered to the pair. "Oh-kay," he said slowly. Then he brightened. "In fact, why don't you two wait here. I'll go on ahead-"

"Don't even think about it," both women said in unison. Link sighed and opened the door, waiting just outside the room.

Ruto turned to Sheik, arms folded. "All right, sister, let's hear it," the Zora said bluntly.

"Link," Sheik said as evenly, "is not interested in your...offer."

"I don't need you to tell me that," Ruto hissed. Sheik cocked her head in surprise. "I know where his heart is. It's not with me, but don't think you can steal it either, Sheikah. I don't know what pit Impa found you in, but whatever she's taught you, there are some things you'll never know." She leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. "And you know what? That's just fine, as long as you know _this:_ Link deserves better than a shadow of a woman!"

"You care for him," Sheik said slowly. "You truly care."

Ruto glared at the apprentice Sheikah. "Believe it. Zelda isn't the only princess who owes her whole world to that Hylian, and she isn't the only one who appreciates him for it, either." She looked into the distance and smiled. "Besides, I already have a boyfriend."

Sheik blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm not going to let Zelda off that easily, of course," Ruto said, a cunning smile forming as she looked at Sheik sideways, "but this sweet young Zora lord's been wooing me. We Zoras mature faster than you Hylians, you know. He's fine and lithe and graceful, he serenades me by moonlight with Nayru's own voice, and he's found these flowers that glow when the stars come out..." her smile faded and vanished like a Poe at dawn. "My Mikali is frozen under that ice," she said with a bitter edge, then stared daggers into Sheik's eyes. "Remember that the next time you accuse me of neglecting my people."

_Gods be good._ Sheik bowed. "You have my deepest and most sincere apologies, Princess. Rest assured that I will do my utmost to help you save your people and your love."

Ruto looked away, trembling slightly. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Now. I believe we've kept the Hero waiting long enough. Shall we?"

"Indeed." Sheik darted from dragon head to dragon head while the Zora princess leaped alongside her. "Ruto." The Zora nodded. "Have you noticed the Hero's trepidation?"

Again, Ruto nodded. "There is a chamber in our Temple that allows one to confront one's illusions about oneself. Water is reflective, but sometimes also deceptive." She grimaced. "Nayru only knows what that evil sorcerer twisted it into." Sheik frowned at that.

They landed near the door. Link turned and smiled weakly at the pair. "Ready?"

Sheik nodded. "Link," Ruto said slowly, peering at him with obvious concern, "the Hall of Illusion...what did you find there?"

Link trembled and looked away. "My Shadow. Do not confront him." He walked forward, his stride that of a man confronting the gallows and determined to acquit himself well.

_Your Shadow?_ Sheik gazed at the Hero in wonder. _How in Farore's name could that have been so terrible?_

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"Here we are," Link whispered. He raised his hand, but couldn't seem to make himself open the door. _Farore, help me!_

"You can do it, Link!" Navi cheered.

"Remember," Ruto added quickly, "whatever you saw before was not true. It was Ganondorf's evil, making a mockery of insight."

"I wish I believed that," Link said, swallowing. In a rush, he grabbed the door and threw it open, drawing his sword and leaping in. The pond, the tree, it was all as he remembered. "Stay back," he said, voice strengthening. _I can't let him hurt them! I won't!_ "Hit him from a distance, keep moving, and for Din's sake don't let him grab you."

"Him?" Ruto's head recoiled slightly.

"You heard Link before," Sheik said warily. "We face the Shadow of the Hero himself."

"Link?" Zelda whispered from the tree.

All three froze. Link's heart pounded like Bongo Bongo's drum. "That's - that's not possible-" he staggered forward, trying to bring his sword up. Zelda stepped out from behind the tree, eyes glowing red, skin a pale blue with black veins popping out along her skin, but still clearly Zelda. Link's arms wouldn't obey his mind. His heart was in command; the sword stayed down.

"You speak the truth, Hero," Sheik whispered back, concern starting to creep into her voice. "That is not the princess. She is not your charge. You must fight."

"Link," the false Zelda gasped again, the black veins spreading. "I'm - I'm sorry - I couldn't - you have to - to stop me!" She screamed, and Dark Fire enveloped her.

"Ze-" Link took a step forward, about to run to her, when Ruto and Sheik each grabbed an arm.

"Link, NO!" Ruto shouted, her grip incredible. "It's not her, it's an illusion!"

"Listen to Princess Ruto," Sheik said, her eternal calm wavering. "Ganondorf thinks you cannot face her. He is wrong."

"Is he?" Dark Zelda laughed as the flames receded. She floated into the air, Dark Fire burning above each hand. Aside from the sheath of darkness, she was an exact replica of Hyrule's Princess. Her eyes were black voids, hidden by the shadow, but every other detail was etched exactly in lines of gray on her endless black depths. "Release my Hero, you envious fools. Release him and flee, and I may spare your lives." She smiled cruelly. "Then again, I may not. I am tired of sharing him."

Sheik trembled, then snarled and rolled forward, needle-blades flying. Dark Zelda laughed again, contemptuously, and a mockery of Nayru's Love sprang up, deflecting the needles as if they were rain drops. "Link, you must act," Sheik said grimly. Then she gasped and dodged a ball of Dark Fire.

"Sheik!" _Zelda!_ Link's paralysis vanished, and he ran to her. The Hero blocked another blast of Dark Fire aimed at Sheik, then charged at their shadow-foe. She floated away easily, her laughter vanishing as she regarded the Hero seriously. "They're right," he said to the replica, voice shaking less than he'd feared. "You're not Zelda."

"I am her Shadow," Dark Zelda said, a hint of pleading in her voice. "There is more of her in me than you think." She hovered away, not attacking the Hero. Link grimaced and kept as evenly centered between the three women as he could. _Fight me, Din burn you,_ he thought, caught between desperation and fury. "She will not share herself with you as you deserve." Behind Link, Sheik stumbled. _What in Farore's name?_ Link thought wildly. _That was a shameless lie! Zelda can't believe that!_ His eyes narrowed. "I can give you everything, my Hero. Everything she can not," Dark Zelda pleaded.

"I," Link hissed, sheathing the sword and summoning the Fairy Bow, "am not _your_ Hero."

The pleading expression warped and turned into a hideous mask of scorned fury. "SO BE IT!" she wailed, and a massive ball of Dark Fire formed in her hands, pulsing and growing.

_Oh, I know this trick,_ Link thought grimly. A flicker of thought and a flow of mana formed Light at the end of his arrow, and he loosed it. Dark Zelda screamed in pain, fell into the water, and sank through the floor.

Ruto exhaled in relief. "It's over."

Link shook his head, circling the lone 'tree' warily. "Not a chance," he said, voice grim as death. "The shadow copies the strength of the original. Zelda would never fall to one arrow, even a Shadow Arrow. This one won't die from a single Light Arrow either."

The Zelda with red eyes and blue skin arose from the ground, the arrow still piercing her heart. "Link," she sobbed in despair.

_Farore!_ Link spun, arrow at the ready...but he could see her eyes this time. He froze.

The Shadow engulfed her again. Dark Zelda laughed and rose into the sky. "It will not be so easy," she intoned, the royal heir pronouncing sentence, "a second time."

Ruto glared at the creature. Then she sang a single, pure note, and the entire chamber resonated. Dark Zelda screamed again, this time in outrage. She gestured at Ruto, and a beam of ice Link knew all too well shot at the Zora. Ruto rolled away. "Now, Sheik!"

Sheik shot her chain at Dark Zelda's foot and leaped up at her, kick aimed for her head. "Sheik, watch out!" Link shouted, but Dark Zelda spun instantly in the air, blocking the kick instinctively with one of her own. Their legs met with identical motions, and each flew back, Sheik landing in a crouch, Dark Zelda floating near the wall and watching the 'Sheikah' curiously, head tilted slightly.

"How queer," the Shadow thing said, regarding Sheik intently. "Did I train you? I do not know you, which should be impossible. Yet I react to you as if you were me, and that _is_ impossible."

"To the Sheikah," Sheik said coolly, "the word 'impossible' does not exist."

Dark Zelda chuckled. It was almost like listening to his Zelda, and that was driving Link mad. "A pity that this possibility does you no favors. DIE!" More Dark Fire shot from the Shadow's hands, and Sheik cartwheeled away. Link gritted his teeth and fired another Light Arrow, but Dark Zelda dodged with ease, sliding in the air to avoid the attack. "And you, treacherous Hero," she said, her anger not quite hiding her grief, "you will pay for choosing these two sirens over me!"

"Choosing us - over you?" Ruto howled. Again she sang that one pure note, but only for an instant. The room rang like a bell, and Dark Zelda fell to the ground. Ruto hit her. Hard. "Vile fool," Ruto snarled, kicking at the replica as Dark Zelda recoiled. "The Hero's instincts may slow him against this image, but you'll never deceive him with your pathetic puppet." She slashed at the Shadow princess with an arm fin, then punched her again, forcing her to descend into the illusory water. "Link and Zelda have a bond stronger than you can imagine, one you'll never touch!" She looked up, eyes almost crazed with outrage. "You hear me, Ganondorf? This is one battle you can never win!"

"Whoa," Link breathed.

"Accursed Zora harridan!" Dark Zelda cried as she rose from the floor again. "I am not Ganondorf! I am Zelda's true self!" She glared at Ruto hatefully. "And the rest are such pretty words, yet they can hardly mask how you covet that which will _never_ be yours!"

Ruto winked at the Shadow creature. "Right. That's why I got his first kiss," she laughed.

Dark Zelda's eye voids filled half her face, and she screamed like all the hatred in the world. _It almost sounds like Ganon,_ Link thought in horror. Streams of Dark Fire shot at Ruto, who dodged with astonishing grace even for her, but Dark Zelda simply unleashed too much power for Ruto to evade them all. Even as Link rushed to her side, the Mirror Shield flashing into existence to replace his trusty Hylian one, a slashing beam hit the Zora in the leg and sent her sprawling. Ruto grunted and fell, and the remaining beams converged.

Link was there half a second before Dark Zelda's wrath, and the Mirror Shield filled with shadowy power. Dark Zelda's empty eyes went wide, and the power shot back at her. She flew back and fell, descending into the floor again. "Thanks," Ruto said weakly. "Owww..."

"Can you move?" Link asked, immediately moving to stand between her and the tree. He glanced over his shoulder just enough to keep both the Zora princess and the tree in view.

"What, because of this?" Ruto stood, favoring her good leg, but still dancing back and forth behind the Hero. "I've had worse. Just an hour ago, for that matter." She grimaced, flexing her leg slowly. "Of course, that's the _only_ time I've had worse..."

Link grinned at her encouragingly. "You're doing fine, Your Highness." Incongruously, Sheik grinned at that. #Hey, Navi, any ideas?#

#Sorry, Link,# Navi replied mournfully.

#It's okay,# Link 'pathed, moving slowly towards the tree. #We'll think of something.# He looked over to the Sheikah. "Got anything, Sheik?"

"I must have thrown a hundred needles into her back while you were defending Ruto," Sheik snarled. "She ignored them."

Link sighed and nodded. "This one's mine, then."

"I AM NOT!" Dark Zelda howled as she exploded from the tree's island. "I offered myself to you, and you REJECTED me!" Smaller blasts of Dark Fire exploded around the Hero like popcorn, and Link gritted his teeth, ducking behind the Mirror Shield. _I'm running out of ideas._ The Fierce Deity Mask, long neglected in his fairy space, pulsed to him. _No! I'm not that desperate!_ The thought of putting on Onigami anywhere frightened him, but in here? _Gods alone know what that would do. I could - I could _become_ Dark Link._ The Hero froze.

Dark Zelda smiled coldly. "What is this, Hero? Have you realized the futility of resisting me? The Zora princess is out of tricks," she said, voice dripping with contempt as Ruto glared at her, "and the Sheikah, hah! Pathetic! What good is a servant of the Shadow against the Shadow itself?"

Sheik's eyes widened, then she looked at her hands. "I've been such a fool," she whispered.

"Don't say that," Link replied, dodging and slashing up at Dark Zelda. She laughed and floated higher. Link did a quick mental calculation. The results froze his heart. _I can't reach her at her highest...but Onigami can. Farore!_

"It's true. I let my pride leave you and Ruto to fight that thing without me." Sheik glared at Dark Zelda, the Sheikah's hands coming together in front of her. "But no more!" She performed one of their hand symbols, their 'kuji-in,' and there was an swirl of light.

Zelda stood there, glowing like the sun. Dark Zelda boggled at the sight. "What in Mandrag's name?"

"How dare you speak that name with my voice!" Zelda roared like a lion. She floated into the air, Din's Fire crackling around her. "How DARE you! My Shadow, are you?" Ruto's eyes went as wide as the full moon, staring at the pair in complete shock. "You hurt my friends! You _hurt our Hero!_ There is _nothing_ of me in you!"

Dark Zelda sneered. "You'd like to believe that, wouldn't you?" she shot back. Zelda shook, but didn't retreat. "You'll never tell him, will you? It hurt when you realized that he didn't tell you about his Shadow, but did you tell him about yours?" The Shadow princess circled the true one, watching her, weighing her. "Did you tell him about me? How possessive you are in your heart? How tired you are of those idiots in the court?"

"Shut up," Zelda hissed.

"Don't listen to her, Zel!" Link shouted. "She knows your every move! She'll mimic the blows closest to your heart! You've got to use different skills and weapons!" Without thinking, he summoned the Megaton Hammer. With an annoyed gesture, he banished it, the Fairy Bow returning to his hands.

"You think you're so brave, facing monsters like Volvagia," Dark Zelda continued mockingly, "but you know what a coward you really are. Can you admit the truth?" Zelda winced, wavering in the air. Her Shadow laughed dismissively. "I thought not. Haah!" She flew at the true princess with a deadly kick. Zelda blocked with her arm, but just barely.

Link took aim, but even with Navi's help, didn't dare fire. The two princesses were engaged in a blur of deadly martial arts combat, a duel of fists and feet that left them so close, moving so quickly, he could just as easily hit the real Zelda as the false one. "Zel, use your magic!" _Din sear me! What do I do?_ He looked at Ruto helplessly. The Zora looked away, then tried her pure note one last time. Again, the room rang, but far more weakly this time. Dark Zelda didn't even bother to share her contempt, so intent was she on destroying the original.

The Fierce Deity Mask pulsed more hungrily at him. _I can't hit her with a sword any easier than I could with an arrow,_ he told himself. The mask was unconvinced. Neither was Link. It was the only way he even might be able to help Zelda now.

"Link?" Navi asked with alarm as he reached into his pouch. "Link, what are you doing?" she cried as he pulled out the mask.

"I have to try, Navi," Link said desperately. _Time to face my darkness after all,_ he thought miserably. He thrust the mask on all at once, before he could change his mind. His scream brought the battle to a halt, both Zeldas staring wide-eyed at him as the change took him, overwhelmed him, and consumed him. Link fell to his knees.

Oni Link stood, the great spiraling blade in his hand. He looked at Dark Zelda with a predatory smile. "You want me, little girl?" he laughed. "Here I am. Come and get me!" Dark Zelda licked her lips, half in hunger, half nervously. _This is going to be easier than I thought,_ Oni Link thought with satisfaction.

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_Din, Nayru and Farore!_ Zelda thought, horrified. Link may not have told her about this chamber before, but he'd described the feeling of power the Mask gave him. The arrogant might, the confidence it filled him with...and how much he feared it.

Her Shadow's reaction was...different. "Nayru, look at him. He's _gorgeous."_ She looked at Zelda with a smirk. "And you never talked him into wearing that?"

"That's not Link," Zelda said coldly.

"Perhaps you're right," Dark Zelda replied, floating away from the Sage of Time. "Perhaps he's not your Hero." She floated down to the transformed Hero, smiling seductively at him. "Perhaps he's mine."

Zelda's eyes widened. A rage she hadn't thought possible consumed her. "DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!" she roared, and Dark Zelda spun to see the princess form a bow out of Light itself. _Thank Din, it worked!_ An arrow formed in it, and before the Shadow could vanish, Zelda loosed her attack. Dark Zelda screamed and flew back.

Oni Link caught her easily, and Zelda gasped. He held Dark Zelda by the back of her dress. "Give me one reason not to kill you right now," he said, a smile of absolute confidence on his face.

"Oh, I think I can come up with something," Dark Zelda replied breathily, turning as much as his grip allowed. She looked up at him, lips inviting. Oni Link raised an eyebrow, considering. _Farore,_ Zelda swore. "All I ask of you is that you do as you desire. All I ask...is that you take what is yours."

"Your eyes..." he whispered with a frown. Hope swelled in the true Zelda. _She has no eyes!_ she realized. She didn't know why she'd sensed how important her eyes were to him or what it meant, but in that instant Zelda knew. _You lose, sow,_ she thought, and laughed.

"Move!" Zelda commanded, and even Oni Link obeyed. Dark Zelda looked up in horror. "DIN'S FIRE!" Zelda roared, and a burst of flame the size of a small room shot at the impostor. Dark Zelda screamed one last time, then vanished completely. "And that," she said firmly, "is why a lady should be able to take care of herself, Hero or no Hero." The illusory pond vanished, leaving only a plain, empty room save for the chest at the far end.

Ruto whistled. "Remind me never to get on your bad side." Then the Zora's eyes widened. "Um, Zelda..."

"It's okay," the Hylian princess replied with a light chuckle. "I just got a long, hard look at the green-eyed monster." She looked at Ruto kindly. _One of my best friends,_ she realized. "I definitely don't want _that_ thing coming between us, do you?"

Ruto smiled back in vast relief. Then her eyes went wide again, and she pointed behind Zelda. "Uh...Zel...behind..."

All at once the world spun, and she was gripped inescapably in Oni Link's arms. They were like forged steel, with a strength that could rend a Goron in half. He was more than a head taller than her, with a body sculpted by Farore Herself. The gleaming azure armor only made him more striking, and the markings on his face gave him the air of some great animal god, ferocious and invincible. She licked her lips nervously _(nothing like my Shadow,_ she tried to tell herself). He growled faintly, smiling down at her. "Ah. There. Those eyes. My eyes," he whispered.

Zelda paled. Oni Link's eyes were naught but fields of white power. "Link..._your_ eyes..."

"It has never been that way with you," he said fiercely. "Can you tell me you don't want this?"

The princess' heart was pounding like the Megaton Hammer. _Why doesn't Ruto say something? Where's Navi, Din sear it?_ Zelda trembled. She tried to speak, but her voice betrayed her. "I...I want..." she gasped. Nothing else would form.

"I know what you want," Oni Link said, leaning closer. "Speak it, and it is yours." The predator's smile became triumphant.

_Nayru give me strength!_ Zelda knew what she wanted. She also knew what was right. This once, they weren't the same thing. _I won't betray him._ "Link, I want you...to..." _Say it, Din burn you!_ "...to take off the mask," she said in a rush.

Oni Link blinked in surprise, then released her. Zelda was amazed to find that her arms didn't hurt in the slightest. With astonishing speed, he grabbed his forehead and _pulled._ The implosion looked even more painful than the original transformation, but at the end, Link was back. He fell to his knees, the mask tumbling from his grip. "Link! Are you all right?" she and Ruto said as one.

With a wordless cry, he called the Hammer from fairy space and brought it down with a terrible crash on the Fierce Deity Mask. "Din burn you!" he screamed. Zelda shook. _Nayru...such pain..._ Tears formed in her eyes, and she blinked them away before Link could see them.

The Mask, miraculously, was unharmed. Link glared at it for a moment, then sighed, picked it up and shoved it in his pouch. He walked over to the chest and opened it, grabbing the extended Hookshot and throwing it savagely into the air. It actually bounced off the ceiling before Time sent it away. "Come on," he said dully, head lowered, walking toward the door. "There's still Morpha to deal with. The Zoras need us."

Ruto looked from Zelda to Link, frozen as completely she'd been when they first found her, then rushed to follow. "Link..."

"I'm fine," he said gruffly, opening the door. Zelda rushed to his side.

"Link, you did nothing wrong," Zelda said quickly.

The Hero looked up, his eyes meeting hers, and the brief glimpse of anguish tortured Zelda. A hard iron mask went over his face, even concealing the pain in his eyes, and somehow, he smiled for her. "Thank you," he said. She knew he didn't believe her - not that he thought she lied, only that he believed her wrong. The smile vanished. "You should change back into Sheik," he said tonelessly. "We needed Zelda against that evil mockery, but the Sheikah chain will be priceless against Morpha."

Zelda nodded and transformed. "We will speak of this later," Sheik said calmly.

Link sighed and turned, shoulders hunching. "I know," he said softly. "Let's go." He straightened again and strode toward the next battle.

_Oh no you don't,_ Zelda thought firmly. _I may have won the physical battle, but you took a terrible wound for me. There is no way I'm going to let you leave it at that._

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"Sheik!" Ruto shouted. Link grunted in pain as Morpha's tentacle crushed him.

The Sheikah's chain lashed out and hit the ancient Zora foe's nucleus with her usual uncanny accuracy. The instant it came out, Morpha's fluid form burst, and Link fell into the water. Ruto slashed at it with her fins while Sheik danced around, throwing needle after needle into their enemy.

Finally, it burst just as Link climbed onto the floor, rising shakily to his knees. "Who, exactly," he said with a grin, "is whose hero here, again?"

Ruto smiled back broadly. "Hey, even Heroes can use some help sometimes!"

Sheik nodded, expressionless. "It is why," she noted, "I accompany you, Hero of Time."

Link's smile vanished, and he nodded. "Yeah, I know. But for Din's sake, can we drop the portentous 'mystery guide' thing, please?" he gasped, shaking his hair out almost like a dog.

"Hey!" Navi objected, flying out of his hat. "Do you mind?"

Link mumbled an apology while Sheik cleared her throat and looked away. Ruto smiled fondly. _They do work together well,_ she admitted to herself. Azure light started to glow above them, while energy formed around the remains of the nucleus, taking the shape of a heart. Ruto looked up and watched the Water Medallion descend, then vanish. Link and Sheik all but ignored it, but Ruto was glad she'd watched. _Beautiful,_ she thought.

"Ruto, do you desire the heart-energy?" Sheik asked evenly.

Ruto shook her head. "I have my people to attend to," she said, looking at Sheik as if for the first time. _Why do you do it? I know you care for him, but..._ She shrugged. Ruto, of course, wouldn't have hesitated to accompany Mikali if he were called to be a Hero, but Zelda... _You're not like us,_ she thought, glancing at Link. _You fight, but even at your most fierce, you are not a warrior by nature._ She grinned. "Besides, I'm a Zora. We're already toughened by the pressures of the deep. You keep following our Hero here, you're going to need it."

Sheik nodded wearily and placed her hand in the heart. She gasped, and her wounds vanished. Then an orange field of energy appeared near Sheik, and both she and Link looked at it like a shark was swimming towards them. Ruto eyed the field warily. Someone in a cloak with a bird-motif rose from the gateway. "You have done well, thus far," he said.

"When we desire your opinion, Arbiter," Sheik said coldly, "we will ask it of you."

"Your greatest challenges yet lie ahead. The Phantom Shadow Beast is stronger than it has ever been." He may as well have been talking about the tides or the latest catch of fish. "The twin witches have learned much, and I misdoubt you will appreciate their plans for Nabooru."

Link stood instantly. "What are those two doing?" he demanded.

"I can tell you not. You know that, Hero of Time," this Arbiter said unconcernedly. "Kotake, however, has told me that I can tell you this much: they mean to find a Queen for their King."

"No," Link breathed, trembling. Ruto sympathized. _Ew._

"If that is true," Sheik said coolly, "then Nabooru is unlikely the intended bride. That is too easy, too obvious."

"Easy?" Ruto chuckled. "I thought you knew Nabooru better than that." Sheik's expression flattened. _Oops. You don't know 'Sheik' that well, dummy,_ she thought, feeling dense. "Besides, if Nabooru falls, so does the Gerudo resistance." Sheik sighed and nodded.

Meanwhile, the Arbiter shrugged, his cloak rippling. Ruto peered at him more closely, as did Link. _There was something...familiar...about that._ He slowly sank back into the portal. "Beware the Dark Drummer, Hero of Time. Even the Last Sheikah cannot hold him forever." With that, the Arbiter vanished.

"We go through there?" Ruto asked, pointing at the portal. Link and Sheik nodded as one, Navi bobbing in time with them. "Fine. Let's get this over with. I want to get back to my people." She strode without hesitation into the glowing circle.

"What - Ruto!" Link blurted, following her quickly. Sheik sighed and trailed after them. Ruto grinned. _All they really need is a swift kick in the -_

DESERT.

The blazing sun beat down on her, winds dry enough to steal the tears from a woman's eyes blowing around the Zora princess. Sand scraped her body. Ruto gritted her teeth and endured. _Zelda told me about this, but I never dreamed...never imagined...how could any place with life be so hot, so dry?_

"Ruto!" Link shouted behind her, and strong hands shoved a Goron tunic over her body. Immediately the pain and heat dimmed. "Of all the reckless-!"

"You would be familiar with such things," Sheik commented, voice dry as the wind, "would you not, Hero of Time?"

"Not now, Sheik," Link snapped. Then the ground shook.

There were two pillars towering over the great Spirit Temple, with some strange, barnacle-like annex jutting within their boundary to a massive wall, like a ruin of some greater time, but the protrusion was clearly much newer than the temple. As they watched, Ruto in amazement, the Hero and Sheikah with some resignation, a third pillar rose from the ground and the symbol of water formed at its zenith. The building grew like a living thing, the wall extending and new rooms taking shape. "By the gods," Ruto breathed, and immediately regretted it; her throat burned the instant she let her guard down.

"Okay, job's done, everybody hold on!" Link shouted over the wind, and both princesses grabbed his shoulders. He played the Serenade of Water. _Such beauty,_ Ruto thought as a much more welcome energy swirled around them, and they were once again at Lake Hylia. This time, though, it was full, the ice of the Domain clearly having melted. Her people frolicked and exulted in the clear blue water.

"Ruto!" the most welcome voice she'd ever heard called. She looked up, and a slender, acrobatic frame she'd longed to see again waved to her.

"Mikali!" she cried back, ignoring her throat's objections, leaping into the water and darting to the young Zora lord.

"And my work here," Link said in relief, "is done." Ruto sent a prayer of thanks to the gods for the Hero and Sheikah as they vanished to the Prelude of Light, then let Mikali's lips do all the soothing she'd ever need.

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Link felt the world return to normal around them, Light and Time returning them to the great Temple in Castle Town. "We should get you back to the palace," he said as evenly as he could manage. Even to his own ears, the Hero's voice sounded rough. "I imagine your father will have a few choice words for me."

"Unlikely," Sheik said, transforming back into Zelda with a gesture. She grinned at him. "He had his chance. Somehow, he couldn't find an eligible candidate capable of beating a thirteen year old princess."

Despite himself, Link smiled at that. _I wish he had._ He glanced over at her. _I'm glad he didn't._ The Hero shook his head rapidly. _Farore! Where did that come from?_ He strode toward the door. "Let's go."

Zelda touched his arm. "Not yet." Link froze. "Link, what happened back there..."

"You needn't concern yourself with it," he said quietly. "I'll go back to Termina, trade this mask for the others. Some of them," he said, glancing at her, "have their own uses."

"Link, if you can get more tools to fight Ganondorf, great," she said, "but you don't have to give up Onigami. What happened between us - that wasn't his fault. It was mine."

The Hero stared at her in astonishment. "I - that - Zel, how could you possibly take any blame for the Oni...the Fierce...for what he did?"

"Link..." she looked away. Link knew that look, from another Zelda, another time. _"All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing..." Why, Zelda? Why do you always blame yourself for what...other people do?_ He took a breath to speak, but had no words. "...Dark Zelda was right about something. I have been a coward."

At that, Link snorted. "Right. That was real cowardice, fighting your own Shadow. And saving me from Morpha? Yellow streak. Definitely."

Zelda chuckled, and Link's heart lightened for a moment. "I hate fighting," she admitted reluctantly, "but I'd rather face a whole army of Moblins than...sometimes..." she looked into his eyes. "Sometimes even I don't know what to say." He felt her pleading with him. "Do you understand?"

_Those eyes..._ Link caressed her cheek. "It doesn't matter. No matter what happens, no matter what...changes...I am your Hero. I will always be here for you." He chuckled wryly. "Even if you're the one who has to bail me out sometimes."

"Link, I know we've been friends since the beginning..." Zelda held his wrist in her hands. "...but even then, I felt something...more."

_Bongo Bongo's nothing._ The whole world was drowned out by the sound of his heart, every beat an explosion. Her eyes seemed to swallow him up. _Those eyes..._

_Those eyes own me._

"Zel..." he swallowed and looked away. "I...you don't know what I am."

Gently, she brought her hand around and guided his gaze back to hers. Her touch was silk soft, but her fingertips were more irresistible than Morpha's grip. "Yes I do," she said. Her voice never wavered. Her smile was assured, confident. "You need time. I understand that." The princess stroked his cheek. "I just want you to know...you're more to me than just my Hero. Nothing you could do will ever hurt me. Nothing." She sighed and stepped back, holding out her arm. "So, Hero of Time. Would you escort the princess back to her castle?"

Link nodded and took her arm. _Back to normal, I guess,_ he thought, but the relief wasn't there. He knew it wasn't true.

#Tell her, you idiot!# Navi blurted finally, the tension exploding out of her.

#You know I can't do that, Navi,# Link replied. People stared as the pair entered Castle Town, the Hero passing through with the princess on his arm. Navi's exasperation echoed in his mind. #Even forgetting we're still a little young for this _and_ leaving the princess part out of it, what can I give her? My life is blood and death. I won't do that to her. Not to Zelda.#

#Hello, Sheik?# Navi shot back.

#She follows me into the Temples. Maybe I can't stop that,# he retorted hotly, #but how much of the rest doesn't she see?# Navi went silent at that. #Nayru willing, she never will.#

_Never._


	9. Interlude Three: A Day in the Life

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Interlude Three: A Day in the Life**

Winter was slowly fading into spring. The land was returning to life throughout Hyrule. Farms began to emerge from hibernation, the bustle of Castle Town grew, and trade returned in earnest. For most people, it was a wonderful time.

Sheik, watching invisibly from a tree in the Kokiri Forest, knew that her subject was not so pleased to see the passing of ice and snow. With the thaw came Wolfos from the woods, Lizalfos from the desert and Stalfos from anywhere Ganondorf's magic could reach, but especially the mountains. Stalchildren would soon begin to rise from Hyrule Field at night. Worst of all were the gigantic Peahats, as much because they could arise anywhere in the field's great expanse as the sheer menace they represented. It was good that they were so rare, as few who encountered them lived to tell the tale.

_I should have come here long ago._ Sheik watched the Hero's home intently, a part of her wishing she could see into it, yet also partly glad she wasn't spying on him...any worse than she was, at least. _On the other hand, I can feel the protective magic of the forest around me. Zelda would have to use all her power to ward that defense off._ That selfsame defense simply did not notice the young Sheikah, but that was her only protection.

Before long, she heard Link puttering around his small treehouse. The Kokiri village below came to life. A moo echoed through the forest town. Sheik smiled faintly for a moment, then nearly stood in shock, Sheikah calm rippling within her. _Wait, did that come from Link's house?_

Just then, the Hero pushed his door curtain aside and stepped out, stretching lazily and looking across the village. "Good morning, sleepyhead!" Navi called cheerfully, circling around Link's head.

"Morning people," Link groused, then looked at the back of his left hand. "Why I bother coming back to bed is beyond me."

"Hey, you need your sleep, Triforce or no Triforce!" Navi replied firmly. _What?_ Zelda thought in surprise. Sheik quieted her natural self and listened intently. "You don't recover mana naturally otherwise, and reaping those 'potions' from the grass is a poor substitute." The young Sheikah could almost feel Navi cross her arms. "That can't be healthy."

Link sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh for the Love of Nayru, leave off." There was another moo, and the Hero looked into his house and smiled. "It's okay, Bess, I'll make sure Saria checks up on you." Sheik boggled, then shoved her curiosity aside. He slid down his ladder, waving jauntily to the Kokiri, found Saria and talked with her briefly as promised, then headed for the bridge leading to the outside world. _Given his complaint, he woke up quickly._ Sheik followed immediately.

Once Link was outside, the morning sun beaming down at them, he called forth the Ocarina of Time and played Epona's Song. In seconds, the great mare galloped up to him, fully saddled. Even as Sheik, she could feel the powerful magic that allowed her Ocarina to conjure the horse in that manner. He rubbed his friend's long nose. "Ready for our deliveries, Epona?" The mare snorted and nodded. Link mounted, and after that, Sheik could only keep up by darting through Shadow. He spent the rest of the morning making deliveries, riding towards Lon Lon after his final drop-off in Kakariko.

A cart tumbled wildly toward him a minute after he was across the bridge, a family holding on desperately as their cargo of wheat tottered in the rear. Loose grains flew off and scattered behind them. Then, with a frighteningly familiar whirling sound, a Peahat rose from the hills behind them. The deadly plant flew after its prey, mindlessly targeting those who had disturbed its rest. Its bloodstained leaf-blades spun with phenomenal speed.

Link sighed, turned Epona, and charged towards the cart. He nocked an Ice Arrow, Navi targeting for him, and fired at the monster. Its body shuddered, covered in frost, but approached more quickly. The Hero dismounted, Epona stamping nervously in place, and drew the almost comically small Gilded Sword. To an unfamiliar observer, the battle would have seemed like madness, the lone figure facing the deadly, bladed giant. Sheik called some needles into her hand and held herself ready to help if need be.

With a grunt and a quick roll, Link darted around the whirling, steel-hard leaves and slashed at the roots. This gained the thing's attention, and it swivelled after the Hero. Sheik gritted her teeth and prepared to leap in when the blades threw the Hero aside once, but aside from that single blow, he made short work of the infamous behemoth. It exploded into Dark Fire, much to Sheik's surprise, though Link seemed only slightly taken aback by that. _By the gods. Is Ganondorf spawning even those horrors?_ Her attention returned to the Hero, and she shook her head with a grin. _He doesn't even look winded._

"Gods be praised!" the mother called out, driving the cart towards Link. He casually examined his wound, then nodded to himself and turned to look the family over. "May Farore bless you for your courage, young man!"

"Mommy, lookit his hat! Lookit!" One of the boys bounced excitedly. "That's the Hero! Link!"

Link rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly as the family headed towards him. "Easy, Mother," the father called from the back of the cart, "these poor bags are pretty banged up as it is."

"Oh hush," she admonished, then smiled gratefully at Link. "How can we ever repay you, young Hero?"

"I don't do things like this for reward, ma'am," he said shyly, helping the older man arrange the bags of grain. The father accepted the help until he realized that the _Hero of Time_ was hauling grain with him. The yeoman stared, stunned, while Link finished getting the sacks together and leaped back down. "The gods have blessed me greatly to go with the job they've given me." He whistled, and Epona galloped over. "Now I'll accompany you to Castle Town - that's where you were heading, right?" The mother nodded. "All right, then. The guards will be able to help you once we're there. The princess has a fund set up for things like this, and they should be able to get your cart fixed in no time."

"Ooo, the princess!" a girl called out, peeking over the cart's edge and grinning eagerly. "Is it true that you and Princess Zelda are wooing in secret?" Sheik winced even as the Hero hid his face with a duck of his head.

The girl's mother thumped the child on the head with her hat. "That's enough out of you, Beth. Even if they were, it'd be a secret, and he wouldn't be telling you, now would he?" She winked kindly at their rescuer. "I think we'll take you up on that offer, Master Link, most gratefully at that."

Link nodded, mounted Epona, and spurred her to a trot. They soon slowed to a brisk walk, keeping pace with the rickety cart until they reached the gates of Castle Town. "You'll be all right now," the Hero said as soldiers came out of the guardhouse to check on the commoners. "I have to be going, but you can send word to me through the guard if something serious comes up."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be all right, young man," the father said kindly. "You've done enough."

"Indeed," a snooty, arrogant voice echoed down the cobblestone road. "If you are quite finished posing for the rabble, you can move along, little nonentity." Sheik gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep still, remaining invisibly in the shadow of the house next door.

The guards glared sullenly at the nobleman, but Link simply bowed. "Of course, Lord Purlo. If you'll excuse me, then." He started to walk past, but Purlo stepped in his way, staring balefully at the Hero's powerful figure.

"You gave in terribly easily, upstart," Purlo sneered. "What are you up to?"

"Excuse me, milord," the mother said coolly, "but have you some business with the Hero?"

Purlo glanced at the woman and snorted. "As if it were any business of yours, commoner." Sheik bared her teeth at that. _Enough._ She darted into the city, looking over the main square expertly. It took her only a few seconds to find what she sought. _Go, friend. Face the man troubling the Hero._

Quickly returning to the road into the city, she found Purlo ranting at the Hero. "..and your hat! Clearly mimicking my style!"

"I'm sure no one would want to do that, Your Excellency," Link replied mildly. Navi giggled, a few of the guards and young Beth following suit.

The lord's eyes widened. "How - how dare you!" He waggled his finger at the young Hero. "I should have a talk with the king about...ab...huh...hah...ahhHHH-CHOO!" Purlo's explosive sneeze left the others laughing in earnest. He looked around frantically, jumping away and cowering on one foot when he saw a dog running around his legs. "Ah! Dog! I'm - I'm allergic to - ah - AH-CHOO!"

"My lord," Link said quickly, making his escape. Sheik smiled triumphantly. _Thank you._ The dog expressed its satisfaction in the wordless empathy of all animals, continuing to run around Purlo's ankles.

Then Sheik looked up in alarm, realizing that Link was heading for the castle. _I'd better hurry._ With a handful of quick Sheikah dashes through Shadow, she was soon back in her room. One gesture later, the stealthy eye of the royal family was again a royal herself. Senza knocked mere seconds afterward. "Little Princess, the lad is here."

"One moment," Zelda replied lightly, composing herself. She stepped out to find her Hero smiling at her. "Link." He bowed with perfect grace, and the princess nodded back. "A delight, as always."

"No Hylian could receive higher praise," Link said. A deaf woman could have felt the sincerity in his voice. _Light and Time,_ Zelda thought, pinned between giddiness and frustration, _have you the slightest idea what that does to a woman?_ He rose and offered her a hand.

The princess accepted it, inspiration striking. "And here I thought the highest praise in the land was 'courage like the Hero's,'" she replied with a grin. As expected, he blushed magnificently. _Take that._

With Link reduced to silence, she first guided him to the kitchens to pick up lunch, then to the garden to enjoy it with some privacy. Senza and Zuko quietly backed away when Impa arrived, the Sheikah leaping quietly to a corner on the wall. "So. How's your day been so far?" Zelda asked innocently.

"Kinda normal, I guess," the Hero replied with a shrug. "Busy for winter, slow for spring. Some poor family stumbled across a Peahat. Got scratched, but I took care of it. Ran into Purlo while I was leaving them with the guards." He grinned. "A dog decided to say hi to him then."

Zelda giggled. Link laughed at that. "The gods really do watch out for you," the princess insisted between sandwich bites.

"Actually, I think some of the locals were watching out for me," he said, smiling in faint embarrassment. "Purlo isn't anyone's favorite noble in the Market."

"Too tight-fisted," Zelda agreed, hiding her growing smile behind her sandwich. "How was that family doing?"

Link finished a bite of his cucco leg, then nodded. "Oh, they're fine. They were pretty shaken up, of course - that Peahat was bigger than their whole cart - but I caught up to them before it did." He gazed into the ground, and Zelda could feel him weighing what he'd seen. "I checked them over on the way here, and while that cart could use a little carpenter's love, that's the worst they got from the experience. With a Peahat, that's a lucky thing."

"Who names these monsters," Zelda muttered, toying with the grapes on her plate. _Nayru. I didn't even realize what he was doing. I should have thought to look them over myself._ She popped a grape into her mouth in a decidedly unrefined manner. _I suppose I trusted him to do...what he was born to do. Which, of course, he did._

Nibbling on a carrot, Link looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he grinned at her. "Personally, I blame Navi."

Zelda nearly spluttered out a gulp of milk, just barely maintaining her composure. "Hey!" Navi objected, spinning out of the hat and whirling to glare at him. "What's the big idea?"

"What?" the princess finally blurted once she could safely respond.

"I knew you were awake in there!" the Hero laughed, grinning at his fairy companion. "How else do you know the names of all these things? You make 'em up!"

"Do not!" the fairy replied furiously, trying to stamp her foot - but hitting only air, of course. Link only laughed harder at that, and Zelda found herself chuckling in spite of her best efforts. "For your information," Navi said grumpily, folding her arms, "we fairies are in tune with these things. That's how I target those monsters for you, which is why you're still around to make fun of me! Hmmph!" She darted over to Impa and landed next to the Sheikah, glowing by her feet.

After they finally stopped laughing, Zelda steered the discussion to lighter topics, discussing the latest court gossip and knightly tournaments. The princess took great pleasure in mentioning how Uli's daughter, Lina, was progressing (making sure to use the toddler's name at every opportunity). The Hero, once he was done fidgeting in embarrassment, responded with a list of new joys in the lives of the yeomen and peasants, all of which seemed to center around certain recent changes to Hylian law. Zelda forced herself not to blush. _Turnabout,_ she thought with pleasant chagrin.

It was over a half an hour later when Impa darted to the ground beside them, but it seemed far too soon to the Sage of Time. "I am glad you've enjoyed lunch," her true bodyguard said gently, "but Master Lenzo would like to see the Hero at his earliest opportunity." She nodded to Link, who stood and bowed back.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Not the Hover Boots again," she said, a touch of pique mixed with her wry humor.

"Maybe he's finally worked something out," Link said seriously. "I fear that may be important all too soon."

"Link, my Hero," the princess said fondly, "you're not afraid of anything."

That stopped her friend in his verbal tracks. He performed his familiar neck rub, smiling shyly. "Um, let's go find Lenzo, okay?"

"I thought that's what we were doing," Zelda replied with a grin, taking his free hand and towing him along before he could respond. As he always did, her Hero followed obediently.

When she saw the gold-white glow from beneath the wizard's door, Zelda knew she'd been right. The moment she opened the door, however, the princess was forced to stifle a chuckle. Link, nearly plowing into her when she stopped, gulped, probably doing the same thing.

Doc Bandam was standing three inches in the air, arms folded and with a look of rapidly fraying patience on his face. Lenzo was laying on his side next to the Hover Boots Bandam wore, doing something with a tool that looked like a shining golden fork. "Just hold still a few moment longer..."

"That's what you said fifteen minutes ago," Bandam grumbled. Zelda couldn't help it; she laughed. Link was trying to hide his face behind a hand without _looking_ like he was hiding, and failing at both from Zelda's perspective. Lenzo, however, hadn't even seen them yet. _Oh, it's a tuning fork,_ the princess realized. _I see...he tunes magic. It exploits sympathies and similarities between sound, Light and mana._

"Well I have fifteen minutes of additional data to work from then, don't I?" Lenzo replied testily. He tapped each boot three times with the tuning fork. "There! Now, jump." The wizard stood clumsily, looking at the boots with satisfaction.

"Do I look insane to you?" Doc asked caustically, arms still folded. "Besides, they're here. Let the Hero try 'em on."

The large wizard leaped in place and looked around a touch wildly, eyes eventually landing on the nearly-composed princess and her increasingly disconcerted Hero. "Ah!" He pointed the fork at the boots, which deactivated. Bandam landed with a thud, and the alchemist quickly set about removing the enchanted footgear. "Master Link! Excellent, you're just in time." The moment the boots were off Bandam's feet, Lenzo snatched them from the alchemist's hands (albeit with very little resistance from the good doctor) and handed them to the Hero. "I believe I have solved the traction problem after a fashion, the solution to which has in fact lent a hand in the matter of their limited duration."

Zelda's case of the giggles died quickly as she watched Link slowly put on the Hover Boots. "Um, Lenzo, what exactly do you mean by 'after a fashion'?" the Hero asked.

"Well, you mentioned that the sliding nature of the Hover Boots is in fact beneficial in certain situations," Lenzo explained, stroking his thick gray beard thoughtfully. "The activation and deactivation of the traction function is far more problematic than I would like, requiring both time and some expertise with the Light Tuner." He held up his golden device. "I recommend leaving the Hover Boots in their natural state for the next several months, as you gave me the impression that the Temple you will need them the most in is likely to be your next challenge."

Link nodded, fitting the Boots on carefully. "According to Impa, little has changed in the Shadow Temple." He waggled his feet, looking satisfied with the fit, if not the footwear.

The powerful wizard nodded in kind. "Just so, just so. Nevertheless, I believe that I am close to a breakthrough, and would appreciate your assistance in testing the stabilization technique." He waved upward at Link's feet. "Now jump in place, if you please."

"Link-" Zelda began, but her Hero had already leaped nearly a foot into the air. The fields of Light appeared beneath his feet, and he stayed where he was for several seconds. _Fearless,_ the princess thought with a touch of exasperation.

Looking down in amazement, the Hero leaned on his knees to examine his miniature platforms. "It works!" he blurted.

Lenzo cleared his throat. "Of course," he replied, his voice less certain than his words. "Now, take a few steps. Walk around the table, perhaps."

The Hero nodded. His leg twitched. The other leg twitched twice. Link looked down with concern. "Um...Master Lenzo? I can't move."

Doc Bandam snickered. Zelda's humor, however, had vanished entirely. "Master Lenzo," she said softly.

Nodding quickly, the wizard knelt to examine the Hover Boots. "At once, Your Highness," he muttered, ringing the Light Tuner against his bracelet and waving it over the golden wings on the heels. "Mmm. A bit too _much_ stability..." He moved behind the Hero, placed the Tuner between the heels and tapped both Hover Boots rapidly.

A few seconds later, Link landed with a grunt. "Thanks." He looked down, wiggling his toes. Relieved, Zelda felt like chuckling again, but quashed the impulse with a flicker of Sheikah resolve. "They're not going to do that again, are they?"

"They have been fully reset to their original state," Lenzo explained mildly, pacing around the workbench and rearranging his various magical tools with a touch of mind over matter. "I went to some lengths, given their importance, to ensure that you would have no difficulties related to my experiments in your travels." Link nodded. "Naturally, once you have met your next challenge, I would appreciate your assistance in resuming my examination of those magnificent Light projectors."

The alchemist leaned over to the Hero. "Run while you still can," Bandam quipped _sotto voce._

"Thanks, Lenzo," Link said quickly, willing his sturdy Kokiri boots to replace the enchanted ones. "I'll be in touch." The wizard nodded absently, turning his attention to a strange mask, and the two teens retreated while Bandam quietly approached Master Lenzo.

Once they were outside, Link closed the door, switched back to the Hover Boots, then leaped onto a nearby box. He ran off, sliding in the air while he turned, platforms of Light appearing beneath his feet. After a few seconds, he fell to the ground near Zelda. "If there's any difference," he said after a moment's thought, "I can't see it."

Zelda nodded in relief. "Good." She cocked her head to one side. "Why didn't you do that before, though?"

"I didn't want to insult Master Lenzo," Link replied, blinking in mild surprise.

_For the love of Nayru._ Zelda grinned fondly even as she shook her head. "Come on, Hero," she said, grabbing his hand again. "Switch back. There's one more thing I want to do before you escape the castle."

Link, immediately catching her intent, returned to wearing his regular boots and followed. "What's that?"

"Sheik is a skilled warrior," Zelda explained, leading him through corridors and down staircases, "which is all well and good when I can _be_ Sheik." Her Hero nodded in apparent understanding as they approached a training room familiar to them both. When she opened the door, though, he was surprised at the sight of her long, slender blade resting in its open case. "Marth gave me that sword years ago. I mean to learn to use it properly."

"For the love of Nayru, Zel," Link said fondly as they entered, "you don't have to be good at _everything."_

"Maybe not, but 'Zelda' should have some sort of physical defense, and the Altean enchanters did superior work with this sword," Zelda explained. "It channels and focuses certain types of magic." On a whim, she winked at him. "Besides, what are you afraid of? Think I'll get better than you?"

Link's expression went flat instantly. _So there is some male pride deep down in there,_ the princess thought, not sure whether to be amused by that, while he strode into the room and drew his Gilded Sword. He looked intently at the sword resting in the case, then took a few experimental swings with his own blade. _Or...is that it?_ Zelda wondered, feeling bad suddenly. "All right," he finally said, voice even, "let's get started." He gestured to the weapon on the bench. "We'll begin by seeing what you already know. I take it you've done some training with the knights."

"Well, yes," the Sage replied with a subdued tone, "but they use much larger weapons and fight with a more straightforward style. I need someone who parries, dodges and thrusts." She smiled at him. "Make no mistake, our knights are very skilled, but their style involves a lot of sweeping motions and power before precision. A knight aims for the enemy's head, not the slot in the grill." Zelda picked up the sword and held it up, examining the edge carefully.

Link nodded, whatever mood had taken him vanishing. "And the latter is definitely more the fighting style you should adopt, particularly with a blade like this. It's very much like a saber - almost a rapier, really - which makes it much more of a finesse weapon than what you're talking about." He pulled out his shield. "Okay, come at me."

"Come at - with live steel?" Zelda blurted. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

The Hero grinned. "I think I can survive a few minutes of you showing me what you've learned. Besides, I have a bottled fairy on me just in case." He motioned for her to attack.

This time, the princess' expression hardened. "Suit yourself." Quickly, she moved in. _You should know better than..._ the thought trailed off as he blocked and parried her first several attacks with casual ease. _By the gods._ Increasing her speed, she started thrusting and slicing with alacrity, sliding around in an attempt to at least leave a mark on Link's tunic. Tracking her unfailingly, he watched her movements with care and deliberation. Nothing she did came close.

"Very good," Link said after about a minute. "You're fast, agile, and have a natural talent. You're instincts are good, and you already think in three dimensions - that Sheikah training, most likely."

Zelda dropped back, lowering the sword and taking deep breaths. "Good? I never even came close. It was like attacking a wall."

"Zel, you're new at this, and I started training when I was five," Link explained gently. "Remember, I've been through a lot of this twice. If there's one fighting style I've become competent at, it's sword and shield."

"Competent, he says," Zelda replied sardonically. She let the sword go, and it hung in the air next to her. "Okay, what _wasn't_ I doing?"

"Everything you were doing was straightforward, direct," Link said. "That's fine when you're an unseen Sheikah or fighting so close to your foe that they can't see your blades until it's too late, but I knew where your sword was going pretty much the same time you did." He stepped next to her, taking her sword arm in one hand and her opposite hip in the other. Zelda willed the blade back to her hand and nodded. "You're still trying to power through," he explained, guiding her through one of her own thrusts. "You know how to maximize your speed and force, but when you're fighting a duelist head-on, there's more to it than that."

He moved their bodies as one then, shifting her hips with a twist of his and turning her arm gently with his hand. "You said it yourself - you want to get the blade past armor, not through it. The style is different from Sheikah arts, but the purpose is the same. Conceal your movements," he continued, then leaned them forward, "then slide in. Broad motions also take longer and leave you open. You don't need force, just timing."

"I think I get it," she replied, shifting back. Her arm stopped against his chest. In a rush, Zelda suddenly realized how much...contact...they were making. "Ah - I - you - is this a feint?" she asked in nearly a whisper. _Din sear you, Link, why don't _you_ notice how close you are?_ the princess thought, not sure who she was really frustrated with.

"The start of one, yes," he explained, still completely unselfconscious about the situation. "You come in from one direction..." he turned her body very slightly, changing the angle of her wrist a few degrees at most, "then strike from another."

The princess stepped away quickly. "I-I think I get the idea," she stammered quickly, holding the sword out as if to examine it. "Let's do a few..._katas?_ What do swordsmen call them?"

"Drills," Link said, looking her over quizzically. "Zel, is something wrong?"

_Farore._ The princess applied her Mind Katas forcefully, regaining her self-control, then turned to face the Hero placidly. "Nothing, just...accepting a lesson in humility," she explained. _Well, at least that's true,_ Zelda added, a rueful tinge to the thought. _If you didn't think the Hero knew a little more about swordplay than you, why would you ask him for help? _She bowed then, grinning. "So, _sensei,_ how should your humble student begin?"

"Let's start where you never call me that again," Link said with a faint blush along the bridge of his nose. Zelda giggled. "Um, how about the feint? That should come naturally to you."

For the next several minutes, Link walked her through several different attack drills. _This is fun!_ the princess decided when they went through one particular sequence of feints and lunges, and she matched his movements perfectly.

"Excellent," Link said finally, sheathing his short sword and nodding. "Now, let's grab a couple of practice swords and get serious."

Zelda considered the wooden swords on the racks dubiously, leaving her blade floating in the air again when she approached them. "They're...rather bulkier than what we're practicing for, aren't they?" Picking one up, she swung it more clumsily than she would have liked. "Pheh, and the balance is atrocious."

"Hm. You have a point." He picked a practice 'blade' and went through a few drills quickly. "It's not that they're poorly balanced, though - they're just designed to mimic those broadswords you were talking about earlier." Link grinned and flipped the sword into the air, easily catching it by the hilt. "They're good weapons, just...not fencing material."

"Hmph," Zelda mock-huffed, grinning back to take the edge off. "You look like you could fence with it. It makes that...that _dagger_ you wield even more frustrating," the princess added, eyes sliding to the small hilt on his back. "It was embarrassing how easily you parried me with it."

"Heh." Link smiled sheepishly, then drew the Gilded Sword again. "It is kind of short, isn't it?" He looked it over fondly. "Of course, this little guy has saved my life more times than I can count. Besides, it's not like even I find enchanted swords under every bush."

"Yeah, just life energy," Navi quipped. Link rolled his eyes. "Or fairies," she added helpfully.

"Navi, I have never found a fairy under..." he trailed off. "Hey, wait a minute." Rummaging through his fairy pouch, Link pulled out a bottle of Red Potion, his Hookshot, and his slingshot before finally summoning a sheathed longsword with a purple crossguard. "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about this!"

Navi zipped around to hover in front of his face. "You forgot about the Great Fairy's Sword?" she asked caustically, arms folded.

Link grinned sheepishly. "You know I like having my shield handy, Navi." The fairy didn't move except to bob slightly in front of him. "It used to be too big to use with one hand..."

Zelda looked at the weapon with curiosity. It seemed broader than the Master Sword, the sheath hinting at a leaf blade and an odd thickness, but it was certainly of comparable length with the legendary weapon. "I imagine that has changed, my Hero, particularly considering your Golden Gauntlets."

Giving up on her glare, Navi darted to one side, and the Hero drew the magical sword. Its blade was the same vivid violet as the guard, widening dramatically just inside the edge, but the interior was thinner and bright green. He tested it with a few swings, looking at it in amazement. "I don't think I'll need the Gauntlets to use it, Zel..." he said quietly.

"Hm." Zelda smiled. "Why don't we run through some more drills together?" She pointed at his sword with her free hand. "You can get used to that while you train me." With a gesture, she called her own blade back to her hand. "We can spar again when we have practice weapons made." The princess chuckled. "Maybe Lenzo can work something up for us."

Link looked at her uncertainly. "Well, maybe, but as much as I respect Master Lenzo, I think plain old practice swords will work fine."

Zelda nodded. "I defer to the expert." They spent the next hour becoming accustomed to their respective weapons. Link focused on parrying, though the Sage was more interested in the _riposte_ later on in the lesson.

Almost immediately after they stopped to rest, Zelda looked at the Hero seriously. "Link? What are you going to do when we're done?"

"The usual, I guess," he replied with a shrug. "Do the rounds across Hyrule Field and make sure Ganondorf isn't up to anything, then head to Kakariko and make sure the Shadow Temple's quiet. That ought to do it." He rubbed his chin briefly. "You don't think I missed anything, do you?"

Tossing her sword aside (where it once again hung obediently in the air), Zelda threw her arms around Link and hugged him fiercely. The Hero swallowed and hugged her back gently, careful of both sword and shield. "Um, Zel? What was that for?"

"Don't ever change, Link," she replied, then let him go quickly and willed her sword back into its case. "Why don't I 'path to the kitchen for a snack? We've been at this hard for a while."

As the Hero nodded, his stomach growling in agreement, Zelda let her mind wander briefly to take in the boy...man, in truth...who was giving so much to her land, asking so little. _Well, maybe you can change a little,_ she decided, hoping he would spare more of a thought for himself some day, _but never lose your Hero's heart. Don't let anyone ever take that away from you._


	10. Part 1, Ch 6: Fifteen: Shadow

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Six: Fifteen - Shadow**

"HAH!" Nabooru shouted exultantly, charging.

Impa waited patiently, letting the wild Gerudo thief come at her. Twin scimitars gleamed in the light. Nabooru leaped and spun, a whirlwind to rival Link's legendary Spin Attack.

Impa ducked slightly, shifted to one side, and drew her knife. With a single thrust, she sent one of the scimitars flying. Nabooru stared, dumbstruck, as it sank into the ground several yards behind the Sheikah. Then she grinned, took her remaining scimitar in both hands, and leaped again.

_More careful, this time,_ Impa thought, analyzing the hot-blooded young Gerudo's fighting style down to the woman's marrow. _Good._ The Sheikah backflipped away, throwing a Deku Nut to the ground in front of the younger woman. "Gah!" Nabooru shouted, recoiling. Impa permitted herself the slightest of smiles as she darted in, kicked the remaining blade out of the Gerudo's hands, and spun her leg around to knock Nabooru's out from under her. Impa landed on her opponent's stomach, pinning the Gerudo's arms beneath her legs, and placed the knife to Nabooru's throat.

Incredibly, the Spirit Sage laughed. "Gods! What a Gerudo you would make!"

"Link is right about your sense of humor," Impa said coolly. She didn't move. Nabooru wriggled impatiently. "The Twinrova sisters are after you, woman. The _Twinrova sisters._ Do you not remember the significance of that?"

"Hey, I've been training with you and Zelda, haven't I?" Nabooru tried to escape Impa, but the Sheikah had held countless students beneath her. _You are not going anywhere until I decide otherwise,_ Impa thought fiercely. "Contrary to popular belief, we're not all bloodthirsty killers swaddled with knives in our cradles." Nabooru shrugged as much as her helplessness allowed. "Sure, we all train, but those who wear the white are the thieves, the scouts, those who find what we need to live." Impa's eyes tightened, and she pressed the blade closer to her fellow Sage's throat. Nabooru's eyes flew wide. "Hey! I-Impa, what are you doing?"

"Should I just kill you now, then?" Impa said, forcing her voice to go cold. _I love you like a sister, Nabooru, but too much is at stake. I must make you see._ She stared at the Gerudo with eyes like red ice. "If you fall into the witches' hands, Link and Sheik will follow, no matter the danger. If either of them dies because of you..."

Nabooru swallowed. "That won't happen, I swear by Din. Those two are the closest thing I have left to family. Even the Gerudo who follow me look at me like a Queen, their answer to Ganondorf. Impa, you're frightening me."

"Good," Impa growled. "You think Zelda is like family to you? The Gerudo took everything from me. _Everything."_ Nabooru's eyes went even wider. "That girl you call family? I raised her from when she was in that swaddling you mentioned. If she has a mother, may the gods shelter Luda, I am it. She is all I have left. I would die for her." She leaned in close enough that she could feel the breath from Nabooru's frightened panting. "I would kill for her. I have before, and I will again."

"I understand," Nabooru replied slowly. "Impa, what the sorceresses did to your people...every Gerudo who follows me feels shame beyond reckoning for that, but-"

Impa snorted and stood. Nabooru continued to stare at her in amazement. "I do not blame you for that, child. You were barely a girl when Kotake killed my son."

"Your _son?"_ Nabooru gasped. "Din, Nayru and Farore!"

"He was our last hope," Impa said. Her voice was like the Arbiter's then, empty of emotion. "All that the Sheikah will leave behind is Zelda." She looked back down at Nabooru. "If she lives, she will be more than enough. You've seen the marvel she's become. Wise, brilliant, courageous, powerful, noble...she will be the greatest queen Hyrule will ever know. With the Hero by her side, she will bring this land a Golden Age." Her eyes locked onto Nabooru's. _"If she lives._ Nothing is written. Ganondorf may yet kill her and plunge this world into despair. I promise you, however, that it will not happen while I live."

"Whoa." Nabooru looked at the Sheikah for a moment, then grinned and bounced to her feet. "Needlenose doesn't stand a chance."

"Din, Nayru and Farore!" Impa swore. Nabooru's grin didn't even waver. _And I thought Zelda knew how to get under my skin!_ She glared at the Gerudo furiously. "Have you not heard a single word I said, woman?"

Nabooru's smile vanished, and she looked into the grass of Hyrule Field. "I heard every word, Impa. I understand what you're trying to do." She looked up again, matching Impa stare for stare. "Even so, I can't live my life afraid to do what I must for my people, and I won't let fear of that tyrant destroy who I am." The grin returned. "'Love life. In the end, it is all we have.'"

"I do not recognize..." Impa said.

"Once, it was our motto," Nabooru explained. "Long ago, before Twinrova." She smiled brilliantly. "I'm bringing it back into common use."

Impa shook her head, smiling in spite of herself. "You made that up."

"I did not!" Nabooru shot back hotly. Impa glanced over at the Gerudo, who smiled sheepishly. "Well, okay, it might be a _bit_ loose of a translation, but I did find it in the Spirit Temple." She went to her swords and retrieved them, then whistled. A magnificent Gerudo stallion raced over to the Spirit Sage, and she leaped on easily. "As for the Hero and the princess, well, you tell them if they do anything stupid on my account, we'll spank them until their backsides glow like Din's Fire. HYAH!"

The Sheikah watched Nabooru ride off, nonplused. Then she laughed in spite of herself. _Reckless, impulsive, impossible...!_ She shook her head. _And my best friend. It is good to have a friend, Little Sister. Be careful._ Impa watched her ride off. _Link and Zelda aren't the only ones who would risk everything to save you._

She gestured, and the Shadow carried her back to the Triforce symbol outside Zelda's room. Impa knocked politely. "Your Highness?"

There was a brief sound of moving wood. _I wonder if she still thinks I don't know about her diary._ Even after all the years that had gone by, Impa still felt a touch of shame at reading Zelda's most secret thoughts, but she had long ago decided that she had to know everything about her charge. _Nor would I reveal them, not if Kotake and Koume delved into me with their foulest magics._ Sheikah training would see her dead before they learned the least of the princess' secrets. "You may enter," Zelda said, and Impa did.

The Sheikah noted the faint flush in her surrogate daughter's cheeks. _That pup,_ she thought fondly. _Thank you, Nayru, for finding someone actually worthy of her._ She closed the door behind her and stood at ease, in the military sense, legs slightly spread and arms folded behind her. "How may I serve you, Your Highness?"

"Oh stop that, Impa," Zelda said in exasperation, then walked briskly over and hugged the Sheikah. Impa hugged her back. "I have to put up with that nonsense when the court can hear, but I won't have it when it's just us." A moment later, Zelda stepped back and sat on her bed. "So, how did training with Nabooru go?"

"That girl," Impa said in a huff, "is a wild, reckless, impatient madwoman."

Zelda grinned. "You like her."

The mighty last Sheikah squeezed her eyes shut and pinched her nose. "Nayru save me from people who act before they think."

"Knew it." Impa blew out an exasperated breath. Zelda kicked her feet in what she no doubt thought was a gesture of casual indifference. _And the next question is about Link's latest adventure,_ Impa decided. "So. Any word from Holodrum?" she asked lightly.

"We just received word from Altea. Link is on his way back now." Impa smiled gently and stroked Zelda's hair. "He is fine, child."

The princess sank into the bed in relief. "I was sure he would be," she said, sounding younger than she had to Impa in a long time. Then she looked up at Impa and smiled back. "You haven't stroked my hair like that in years."

"Nabooru has made me nostalgic, it seems," Impa said wryly. "I call you child, but you have grown so much over the past five years."

"Well, I'm not all grown-up and stuffy yet," Zelda laughed, throwing her arms around Impa again. "And I'm not ready to give up my nanny yet, either."

"Nanny!" Impa scoffed. "I thought we'd given up that pretense ages ago."

Zelda squeezed her tighter. "Not a chance."

"Well..." Impa glanced down at her emphatic charge. "Nabooru did mention something about a spanking."

"What?" Zelda blurted, blushing, letting go and sliding away from the Sheikah. "I haven't done anything wrong, I swear!"

Impa couldn't help it. She chuckled. "Is that why you look so guilty, my girl?"

"G-guilty - they were just thoughts," she said, turning bright scarlet. "You said there was nothing wrong with thoughts. You _said."_

"So I did." Impa sat down next to Zelda. "As I said more recently, you are growing quickly. Have you given thought to womanhood?"

"Constantly," she mumbled, biting her lip.

"Then it has come to men, I take it," the Sheikah prodded gently, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"Just one." Zelda was barely audible now.

_She hasn't even sworn to Farore and gone to fix her lip gloss,_ Impa thought with amusement. "I fail to see the problem, then," she said, squeezing Zelda's shoulder. "He lives and dies for you, you know."

"Impa, that's half the problem," Zelda whispered, looking up at her bodyguard. Her eyes held more uncertainty than Impa had seen in them since the Fire Temple. "What if - if he doesn't - he cares about me, but what if he can't help it? He is literally my Hero. If he was only with me because he can't hurt me, I'd die, Impa." She huddled close to the Sheikah. "It'd kill him, and I'd just die." She sniffled. "I've tried to tell him, but I can't say it straight out. I don't know if I'm more afraid of him not...not feeling the same way I do...and telling me, or living a lie."

"I know the answer to that, my child," Impa said gently, "but Link is in so many ways not like most men, and you _are_ the princess. It would be improper for him to court you as he is-"

_"Improper?"_ Zelda blurted. "He's the Hero of Time! What more title does he need? Farore!"

"Language," Impa said harshly, and Zelda looked at her toes, abashed. "He has spurned all official titles and accolades. As things stand, he is no more than a refugee from the Kokiri Forest, not ven a peasant by Hyrule's law. We do not have such ridiculous traditions as marrying to cement alliances, thank Nayru," she said, and Zelda made the symbol of the Triforce over her heart, "but even one of the gentry does not attempt to woo the Crown Princess of Hyrule, and Link is too chivalrous to overstep his bounds in that way."

"Din sear chivalry," Zelda muttered.

Impa hugged the princess more tightly. "You do not mean that." She let herself grin. "Besides, you seem determined to miss the point. Link cannot court you. Nothing stops you from beginning the process." Zelda's eyes widened again, and she bit her lip. The Sheikah gazed at her evenly. "You are still young yet. You needn't rush into things."

"Impa, half the women in Hyrule have their eyes on him," Zelda said in a rush. "If Ruto hadn't found Mikali, I'd include one of my best friends in that group!"

At that, Impa laughed outright. "More than half, I'd wager, but there's only one set of eyes he desires." Zelda turned scarlet again. "Patience, my child. You-"

#FREE!# the Shadow Beast's voice roared across the psychic plane. #FREE AT LAST!# She could _feel_ his hunger, even across the ridge and through the palace's wards. _#Come_ for me, little Sheikah! I thirst for your Blood!#

From far away, Zelda was calling out to her in a panic. _I'll explain to her soon,_ Impa thought. #Fool Beast,# she 'pathed back coldly. #Behave yourself, lest your prison become a gallows.#

#Your gallows, last of the Blood,# Bongo Bongo laughed, #not mine! COME!#

Impa's mind returned to her body. "Impa!" Zelda wept. "Impa, speak to me!"

"I am fine, child," she said suddenly, realizing her body had gone rigid. _I _am_ getting old._ She forced herself to become limber again. "I must return to the Shadow Temple. Summon the Hero. I fear I will need his help this time."

"I'm coming with you!" Zelda exploded, jumping to her feet. Her hands started to form the Sheik kuji-in when Impa caught them.

"Absolutely not," Impa replied firmly. "It will take the both of you to stop the Phantom Shadow Beast." Zelda's eyes filled half her face, quivering in fear. _That fear is for me,_ Impa realized. For the first time since she was twelve, Impa wished she could lay down her burden. _No. It would seem I will be able to lay down my burden sooner than I thought. Oh, husband, oh my son, we will be together soon._ She held Zelda's cheek. "I must delay it until you arrive. Be wary. Nothing in the Temple is as it seems."

"Impa..." Zelda breathed. _I dare wait no longer,_ Impa decided. "IMPA!" Zelda cried, and that was the last thing the Sheikah heard before the Shadow took her. _Forgive me, Zelda._

_I love you._

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"He didn't!" Link gasped. The Altean countryside rolled past him and his companion as they rode through the path Hyrule and its neighbor had carved across the mountains. _Gods!_ the Hero thought with scandalized amusement.

"I swear by the gods, he did!" Marth laughed. "Grabbed her shoulders in front of half the court and kissed her full on the lips!"

"What did Elice do?" Link asked, reining Epona in. _You can smell Hyrule, can't you, old friend?_ Though the road between the kingdoms was still rough and narrow, with years of work ahead, it was more than enough for two friends to ride through.

"She smiled one of the sweetest smiles I've ever seen, stepped back, grabbed his arm, and threw him straight out the throne room's doors!" This time, they laughed together. "My little sister is definitely all grown up."

"I don't know where these fairy tales with dainty princesses pining for heroes come from," Link said with a rueful chuckle. "All the ones I know scare me."

"Well, as long as you're polite, you have nothing to fear from Elice," Marth insisted. "Really, she's one of the gentlest women alive."

"Maybe in Altea," Link chuckled.

At that, Marth shrugged. "Conceded. The people of Hyrule do seem more peaceful as a rule." His eyes sought the sky. "We've known war for so long. Peace is...strange to us."

Link sighed sadly and rubbed Epona's neck. "I pray you get to know it better." The mare pressed against his hand approvingly.

"Mmm." Marth's gaze remained in the sky for a few moments longer, then he looked at Link again. "Ganondorf?"

"It's only been nine months since the Water Temple," Link said quietly, "but he's moving. I can see it." His hands clenched painfully on the reins. "I can _feel_ it." Hyrule came into view below them, and Link's heart swelled to see her rolling fields.

"Well, if he moves, so will Altea." Marth's hand came to rest on Link's shoulders. "We do not abandon our friends, Hero."

Link looked up at the new-crowned king gratefully. "Thank you, Marth. I pray to Nayru we'll never need that help, but that means more to us than-"

#LINK!# Zelda screamed in his mind. Epona reared slightly when Link stiffened in shock.

"Link!" Marth grabbed Epona's reins. "Gods, what happened?"

"It's Zelda!" Link gasped. #Zel, what's wrong?#

#It's Impa! She's gone to the Shadow Temple to hold off Bongo Bongo!# He felt her incredulity. #I can't believe I said that...#

#Zel, Bongo Bongo is a serious opponent, but Impa can handle him until we get there.# He turned to Marth. "Can you bring Epona back to Lon Lon?"

"Of course," Marth said, his tone faintly offended.

#No, Link! She...# Zelda's fear shook Link's soul. #...she was going there to die...#

Link's own fear shook his soul. _Impa? No!_ He grabbed at the air forcefully, and the Ocarina appeared in his hand. "I have to go. Now." He jumped off Epona. "You listen to Marth, okay?" he asked the mare. Epona nodded. #I'm coming, Zel!#

"Good luck, Hero," Marth whispered as Link played the Prelude of Light and vanished.

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_Calm. Calm. Nayru, grant me calm. Oh gods, please, not Impa._ Sheik paced frantically in the Temple of Time, the equanimity granted by her training a shattered ruin. Memory filled her thoughts, memory of the monster swatting her aside like an insect, Link drawing his blade to face a monster he couldn't even see and being half-crushed in its grip...

Suddenly, a creature named Bongo Bongo didn't seem comical any more.

A swirl of gold-white light, and her Hero appeared before her. "Link!" she cried and threw her arms around him.

Link shuddered, then held her in turn. "I'm here, Zel. I'm here."

Immediately she released him, ashamed. "I...we must hurry." Link nodded and placed the Ocarina to his lips. He played the haunting Nocturne of Shadow, and darker energy swirled around them. Light and Shadow carried them into the mana itself, and then restored them in front of the dreaded Shadow Temple.

"Sheik, you have nothing to be ashamed of," Link said quickly. "I'm worried about Impa too."

"What I did was unseemly," Sheik said quietly.

"What you did was human," Link replied softly. He drew his sword and called the Lens before his eyes. "Let's go. Every moment."

Sheik nodded, her control returning. _Neither grief nor guilt will help her now._ She padded forward silently. "Every moment," she repeated. She followed her Hero through the paths of the Shadow Temple, ignoring the gruesome decor. The skulls on the poles were odd, particularly as her Eye only saw one skull. The rest were illusion. They wove their way through disturbing, cramped passages to the far corner of the Temple prison. The Dead Hand there was no match for their combined power, and Link watched the Hover Boots vanish with a look of singular annoyance. "There. Now let's find Impa."

"She could have been here," Sheik noted reasonably.

"We know where she is," Link said direly as they returned to the room with the skulls. While he pushed the strange device, Sheik read the inscription. _Ah. What odd puzzles._ Link finished orienting the object, then crouched into a runner's start and dashed, the Hover Boots appearing on his feet just before he went over the edge. He raced across the gap, the Boots disappearing immediately after he hit solid ground again. "Whew. I love those things, but it's as bad as walking on ice. I hope Lenzo can fix that eventually. Okay, Sheik," he said, holding out his arm, "hit me with your chain and I'll pull you across."

For the first time since Impa's disappearance, Sheik smiled. Link gasped as she took off, then leaped, transforming into Zelda halfway across and floating serenely to his side. "I can jump farther than you," she noted evenly, then transformed again into her Sheikah form.

"No kidding," Link replied with a grin. He rubbed the back of his neck innocently.

"Farore," Sheik said, turning away to hide her blush. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Link asked, puzzled. "Sheik, do what?"

"Every moment," Sheik pointed out. "Please, Hero."

Link grumbled wordlessly to himself, sharing a glance with Navi, then led them onward. "Use your Eye. There are invisible scythes all over the place in here." Sheik was glad of the warning soon after he gave it, but forewarned and forearmed made evading the traps simplicity itself for one trained as Sheikah. The Stalfos were tough, the Beamos obnoxious and the Like-Like an infuriating reminder of her limits, but no serious threats to their combined skill arose. "Blasted second-hand Mirror Shield, you'd think it'd work on Beamos."

"You could always complain to the Gerudo," Sheik pointed out while she retrieved her blades from the remains of the enormous skull.

"I think not," the Hero replied dryly. She held on to him when the fans blew mad winds at them, her needle slaying the burning eye. He carried her across the gap with the Hover Boots, together they slew the undead they faced, and in less than an hour, they had reached it.

"The Ship of Sorrow," Sheik whispered. The strange, unearthly vessel bobbed oddly before them. Link leaped onto it, then held out his hand. She grinned and leaped over him, landing behind her Hero. "Jump farther, remember?"

"Just trying to be polite," he replied lightly, stepping onto the Triforce symbol. "Besides, with this as part of it, I don't think 'Ship of Sorrow' is an appropriate name." He played Zelda's Lullaby.

Sheik licked her lips in surprise as the boat lurched to life, flowing forward. "Nayru," she breathed.

"We're going to have to repel boarders," Link noted calmly, "and we're going to have to get off in a hurry, but this part shouldn't be a prob - FARORE!"

Three strangely-armed Stalfos landed around them. Sheik immediately became a blur of destruction, needles and feet flying, but these Stalfos were tougher than the ones they'd fought before. Her attacks seemed little more than insect bites. Link's savage slashes were more effective, but with three foes, all of whom could virtually ignore Sheik, he was starting to show the effects of his efforts. He grunted and sheathed the Great Fairy's Sword, summoning the Hammer. He took a savage blow, but shattered one Stalfos entirely.

_I have to help him!_ Sheik thought desperately, but saw only one way to do it. She transformed into Zelda. "Din's Fire!" she cried, and a ball of flame crashed into the back of a second Stalfos. It turned, stumbling, then collapsed. With only one Stalfos left, even as resilient as it was, the fight only lasted a few seconds. Link reduced the skeleton to shards with one final crushing blow.

"Well," Link panted. "That was...fun."

"You have a strange idea of fun, love," Zelda replied.

Blushes blossomed like twin roses on his cheeks. "Wh-what?"

"I said - HNN!" Zelda swore. The Stalfos she'd destroyed with her flame arose from its own remains and slashed at her. She winced, tears forming, and fell back, clutching a slash along her abdomen.

"ZELDA!" Link cried. "SEIYAH!" He jumped high into the air and came down on the skeleton like the wrath of Din, reducing it to powder. "Zelda! Are you all right?"

"I've been better," she said through a wince, "but I've been worse, too." Through her pained smile, she winked at him. "Do you have something we can bandage this with, Hero?"

Link scanned himself briefly, swore, then took off his hat. Navi was still glaring at the Stalfos' remains, so she didn't realize what was happening until he pressed it against Zelda's belly. "Hey, I live in there, you know!" she objected.

"You'll manage," Link drawled.

Zelda touched the fabric, amazed. "Link...your hat..."

He laughed and shrugged. "What? I can get another one if I have to. Besides, the hat's been through worse too."

"Tell me about it," Navi grumped. Link and Zelda looked at each other, then chuckled. Then the ship stopped and shuddered. "Yipe! Abandon ship!" the fairy wailed.

"Time to go!" Link shouted, grabbing the princess's hand and jumping. They landed beside each other as the vessel sank behind them.

After staring for a moment, Zelda transformed once again. "Well." Sheik looked at Link, making her expression as unreadable as she could. Then she grinned. "That _was_ fun."

Link stared at her, goggle-eyed, then laughed. "Oh, it gets better."

After the maze of illusions and crushing spiked walls, she had to agree, but before long, they had claimed the keys they needed and approached the pit. "It's down there?" Sheik asked quietly. Link nodded. "Well. We should-"

The entire Temple shook. A single drumbeat echoed through every stone like an explosion. Even the air seemed to crack at its power. Impa flew up out of the pit and landed by their side, sprawled out like a broken, discarded doll. "Impa!" they cried in unison and darted to her side.

"...knew...you'd come..." Impa whispered hoarsely, a weary smile blossoming across her face.

"Hang on," Link said, gesturing. A Red Potion appeared in his hand, but Impa reached a hand up to stop him. Her arm hung at an angle arms weren't designed to make, and her hand flopped onto the bottle.

"no," she breathed, and Sheik could barely hear her even without the drumming. "i've lived too long as it is. the sheikah have lived too long."

"Don't say that!" Sheik wept. She gestured, and Zelda knelt by Impa's side. "Please, Impa! I can't lose you too!"

"listen...no time..." Impa could barely move, but she managed to pin Link with a stare. "zelda...is your...destiny..."

Link gripped her shoulder gently with his free hand. "And you'll be there to see it," he insisted.

The Shadow Sage almost smiled again. "no, hero...even you can't...help this time..." She turned back to Zelda then. "dampé...can take...my place...as sage..." Impa took the arm that would move and caressed the princess' cheek. "i...am...so...proud..."

"MOM!" Zelda cried. Mana flowed from her into the Sheikah. _I won't lose you! I _won't!

Impa's eyes widened in shock. Even in what must have been agony, she hadn't cried, but now tears flowed from her eyes. "my...daughter...link...the potion..."

Link didn't hesitate, pouring the crimson fluid into the Shadow Sage's mouth. Impa's eyes bulged and her entire body shuddered, but wounds closed and bones knitted as much as the age of the breaks allowed. "Impa, come on, come back to us," he whispered. Zelda blocked out everything but the mother of her heart, flowing all she had into her mentor.

For an instant, the last Sheikah lay still as death, not moving, not even breathing. Then she took a long, shuddering gasp, and deep, slow, laborious breaths followed. "I have three broken ribs," she said, voice still weak but far stronger than it had been. "My arms will be all but useless for days, and it will be several hours before I can walk."

"I don't care," Zelda whispered, hugging Impa gently. "You're alive."

"Zel," Link said quietly, "when the portal opens...Impa's in no shape to jump down right now."

"Mind over matter," she said firmly. "I'll levitate her down. First..." Fury filled the princess, and the bow of Light formed in her hand. "...I want to introduce myself to our friend the drummer."

"Do _not_ underestimate him," Impa said firmly. "He has more hands now," she added, taking Link in with her gaze as well, "and he seems invincible. You must be careful. You must!"

"Thinking first," Link said earnestly. "I promise." The Hero frowned. "How many more?"

Impa let her head rest against the stone. "I...do not know. At least two - near the end, he hit me with four at once." Somehow, she took Zelda's hand. "Please, Zelda. I cannot lose you, either. Be careful. Both of you."

Link nodded, then stood. "You ready, Zel?"

Zelda nodded back, eyes blazing. "Let's go." She leaped down.

Above her, she heard Link chuckle. "That's my line," he quipped, then jumped after her. They bounced as they landed, which didn't surprise her Hero, but even having had the Temple described to her, Zelda still found it bizarre to be standing on a giant drum.

Then a hand started to play a steady rhythm on the surface. A second hand picked up a down beat, and together, they began to circle the Hylians. Another hand appeared around the drum, though it did not play. Then there was another. And another. Six. Seven. Eight. The extra hands began to circle, wavering almost as if they were laughing at the pair. "What is he," Link snarled, "Bongo Bongo or Octo Octo?"

"I believe the phrase," Zelda replied ferociously, already readying her bow, "is 'start shooting and don't stop until there's nothing moving but us!'"

"Close enough!" Link agreed, and Light Arrows lanced out from the pair. Zelda called forth the Eye when the hands vanished, and Link placed his Lens in front of his face, where it hovered to allow him to see their foes. The hands swiped at them, Link blocking and dodging while Zelda leaped over them.

The battle seemed to go on forever. Once, they had all eight hands paralyzed, and Bongo Bongo's body appeared. Zelda hit it with an arrow, and Link slashed at it viciously, forcing it to retreat in pain. After that, though, the hands got smarter, hiding behind one another and pounding at them from above with massive fists. Twice, Zelda got crushed beneath one, and Link had been punched or slapped more than that. "This isn't working!" he shouted.

"I'm open to suggestions!" Zelda shot back, firing at a hand she'd named 'Scar' for its eponymous markings. The thing seemed to hate her, and at this point the feeling was becoming mutual. She took aim grimly and shot it. This time, though, as she gaped in amazement and hope reborn, it wailed and vanished in a burst of Dark Fire. "Link! The hands - they're not invincible after all!"

"Well, that's a welcome change!" Link laughed, taking aim himself. With Navi's help, he stayed focused on one hand and pierced it again and again, dodging blows, until it, too, exploded into Shadow. Somewhere in the distance, their foe howled in frustration.

"Thank Din for Navi!" Zelda laughed in relief. She took aim, and this time, they finished off one of the hands together. _It's working! We're going to beat this Beast!_ The princess smiled viciously and advanced on the two main hands. _Now, let's see how Bongo boy likes being on the defensive-_

"Zelda, NO!" Link shouted. Immediately, Zelda realized her mistake and leaped back - too late. A hand grabbed her from behind, carrying her into the air, crushing her, and slamming her to the drum. Stars sparkled in the distant darkness, stars that could not shine in this Din-forsaken place. _No - I can't leave Link alone - not now..._

The hand slammed down on her again, and her body shuddered. Link's furious, frightened howls of rage echoed dimly in her mind as he slashed at her tormentor, obliterating it, but when she tried to stand, darkness claimed her.

_Impa...Link...forgive me..._

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Link roared like an animal and stabbed the evil hand through its palm. _Of course she's carrying all potions,_ he thought, furious at himself for not making her take at least one fairy. "Navi!"

"She's all right!" Navi shouted back. "Just unconscious, she'll wake up with a few bruises, but that's it!"

_If we live through this,_ the Hero thought grimly. With the destruction of the hand that had hurt Zelda, four remained. More than he'd dealt with before, and he was already wounded. Worse, Bongo seemed stronger than ever. Each blow felt like being hit by Ganon itself. Link knew he was tough. After years of battle and victory, no amount of humility could tell him he was weak. This time, though, he truly feared losing. Not simply for himself, but...

"Farore," he snarled, and summoned the Iron Boots to his feet. "You can't have her. You hear me? You won't!"

Bongo Bongo laughed. "I will bring your broken bodies to Ganondorf, and he will give me the souls of the Sheikah, forever. They shall know torment unlike any Mandrag Himself ever dreamed of!"

Link paled, but not so much as to let a hand take him unaware. A Light Arrow convinced the Shadow Beast not to be so grabby. "What does Ganondorf want with me? Zelda, I can understand, but..."

The monster chuckled, a low, sadistic sound. "He knows the power each of you has touched. He and Zelda, only secondhand, it is true..." the triangle of light shone from Link's hand. "...but in you, it resides in truth." Something whistled down at him from above.

Link looked up just in time to throw up his shield. He barely avoided being crushed - but the Lens flew from its place before him, and another hand shattered it with a single blow! "Farore. No," he gasped. _Gone._ And every time he'd tried, the Eye..._no! This time, I have to!_ He looked down at Zelda, who moaned and clutched at her Light Bow, still trying to lift it even unconscious. He crouched protectively over the princess, shield on his back, and willed himself to focus.

Bongo Bongo laughed and began pounding on his back. _Calm. Insight. Know Truth, for - hnn - Truth is what liberates us from the Dark Fire of corruption. Know - UHNN! know Self, for Truth begins with a true Self._ The Eye didn't come. _Why? What am I hiding from myself?_ He looked down at Zelda, the Sage still trying desperately to make herself move. He forced himself to endure another blow. _Zelda..._

All at once it hit him.

_I love you, Zel._

Again, the hand came whistling down at him. This time, though, the bloody Eye of the Sheikah formed on his brow. With perfect timing, he thrust his Great Fairy's Sword straight up. It wasn't the Master Sword, but in that moment, it was enough. Bongo screamed, and the hand exploded in Dark Fire. He gazed unflinching into its horrific single eye. "You just lost, monster. You can yield, or you can die. To be perfectly honest, I don't care either way."

"No!" The three remaining hands thrust at Link as one. "I can still destroy you!"

Link held his sword behind him, glaring contemptuously at the three hands, then spun the moment they came into range. A ring of fire struck them all at once, and Bongo Bongo screamed. He surged his body towards the Hero, but Link had already drawn another Arrow of Light, and the Shadow Beast couldn't turn in time. Link let the arrow fly, and with Navi's help, it struck dead center. Once more, the Beast's body fell to the drum, and Link leaped forward, slashing and spinning mercilessly. "Die. Die! Die, sear you, DIE!"

With a single, final thrust into its foul eye, it did, shuddering, flying into the air, and raining down Dark Fire on every inch of the drum's surface. Link spat into the burning mass. "And _stay_ dead this time, Beast!" The heart formed the instant the Fire vanished, and to Link's amazement, the Golden Gauntlets appeared next to it. As gently as he could, he picked up Zelda and lowered her into the heart. She gasped and shuddered, her bruises and cuts vanishing. _Gods, she's beautiful,_ he thought. Never had he been so relieved.

"Link!" Zelda breathed. "Is it-"

"Over," he replied, brushing against the Gauntlets as he helped her stand. They swirled and vanished as the other artifacts had. "He's dead. It's over."

Zelda looked away. "Link...I failed-"

_Oh no you don't._ Link took her chin firmly in his hand. "I could _never,_" he said implacably, "have beaten that thing without you."

"Yes you could." She smiled back at him and stroked his cheek. "You're the Hero. If I helped, though...that's what matters." She stepped back from him, looked up into the blackness above, and raised her arms. Impa slowly floated down to them, the Shadow Medallion appearing and vanishing moments after the Shadow Sage entered the chamber. He watched her from behind, drinking in the grateful look she'd given him. _Those eyes. I will never regret belonging to those eyes._

Again the Arbiter appeared in his orange gateway. "The end draws near," he said in his typical monotone. "When next we meet, you shall see the fruits of your labor...and of Ganondorf's."

"When I care, I'll let you know," Link said wearily. "Unless you have something of actual importance to tell us, rather than pompous pontificating with no substance, move so we can get out of here."

The Arbiter began his descent. "As you wish. Simply, then, know this: the Spirit Temple is not what it once was. You shall face challenges beyond any you have known before. The Stalfos you faced on the Ship of Sorrow were only the first new danger ahead. There will be more, for Ganondorf has learned nearly all you would have kept hidden from him."

Link shuddered. "The streams-"

"That alone, he cannot wield against you. As for the rest, only time will tell." With that, the Arbiter vanished.

"I'm beginning to take a serious dislike to that creature," Zelda sighed, Impa floating above her arms.

"No argument there," Link agreed.

Impa shook her head. "So quick to judge. Think first." Both young Hylians turned to the Shadow Sage. "If he serves the gods, do you think he wants Ganondorf to win, or for Mandrag to be released?"

"I don't think he wants anything," Link replied with a sigh. "I don't think he cares."

"If he let his own feelings interfere with what he does," Impa pointed out, "could he keep Ganondorf's attention fixed here? Would the witches let him near their king?" Neither could answer her. "Let us be gone. I exult at the end of my tribe's ancient foe, but I will be glad to be away from this place."

Link and Zelda nodded in unison, and together, they stepped into the gate. Once again, they emerged in the desert. The moon gleamed full and bright over the sands, and the three existing medallion replicas glowed with a beautiful, unearthly light. "Hey, that's different," Link noted.

"You have a gift for understatement," Zelda noted dryly. Again, the pillar rose, the large Shadow Medallion duplicate gleaming a faint violet before fading to the alien white, and the entire structure glowed with the same energy as it grew like a living thing once more.

"That light..." Impa looked up. "Could it be...?"

"Impa?" Zelda asked. "Do you know what that is?"

"I do not, child." Impa shook her head. "No, not child or pup, not any more. You have both proven yourselves capable of handling the burdens of adults long since.

"Zelda, I can say nothing with certainty, but legend has it that during the days when those who would become the Sheikah and Twili rose, the Nohansen tribe wielded Light as we did Shadow. Combining science and magic, they created an entire field of magical technology based on solid light. Most was lost during the Twilight War. When those who became the Twili were banished, the remaining, loyal Shadow tribes swore themselves to the Hylians of Light as the Sheikah."

Zelda chuckled. "Every time I think I know you, _sensei,_ you reveal a new facet."

Impa managed once more to stroke her cheek. "You will surpass me, daughter of my heart."

_Aww,_ Link thought happily as Zelda sniffled. "Come - come on," the princess insisted. "We should get back. I had no idea the desert was so cold at night, and you need rest. Link?"

Link nodded and, once they were all touching, played the Prelude of Light. In a flash, they were gone.

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#So what are you gonna do now, Hero?# Navi 'pathed brightly.

#Nothing. I know how I feel. I can admit it to myself. Nothing else has changed.# Link strode down the corridor towards General Onox's war room.

#Nothing's changed?# Navi shot back. #Are you mad?# She scrubbed at a last blood stain from the inside. #Too small to notice, my dorsal wings - Link, you couldn't hide what you felt from me before, when even _you_ didn't know. You think I can't tell how much you love her now?#

#It doesn't matter,# Link replied firmly. Guards stepped out of his way quickly, the thunder in his eyes clear to everyone around him.

#Now you listen to me, Hero-# Navi began.

#Hero! Hero! Like that matters!# Link roared across their bond. Navi fell silent, stunned. #You've heard these people, Navi. I'm nothing to them. _Nothing._ Less than a peasant. And even if that _were_ different, do you have any idea what a 'pure-hearted Hero' really is? Do any of them?#

Navi snorted. A knight recoiled slightly. #You're _good._ You're good, the way Ganondorf is evil.#

#Hah!# Link replied contemptuously. #'Good!' Zelda, she's good! Me - I'm a savage, Navi! I'm Farore's blade, her wolf! You know how many times I've regretted killing any of the soldiers, monsters or creatures we've fought?# Navi didn't answer, curling up in the part in his hair. #That's right. The answer would be 'none.' That's not natural, Navi. When one of the innocent is hurt, I hurt, sure. The soldiers, I've heard them talk about nightmares where they see the eyes of those they've killed.#

#Is that why you won't let the king knight you?# Navi asked quietly.

#That, and half his council would be outraged,# Link replied, his own mental voice softening. #Hyrule's tilting on its axis, and Daphnes needs all the stability he can get. Knighting a fifteen year old boy - thirteen, when he started talking about it - with no family? The chivalry would be furious.# Link sighed, a tear rolling down his cheek. #I can't risk that. Not for just myself.# His jaw clenched. #Besides, those aren't the only whispers I've heard.#

Navi thumped him on his head with a tiny fist. #You don't believe that garbage about Zelda!#

#Don't be ridiculous!# Link retorted hotly. #Anyone calls Zelda a tart around _me,_ I'll feed him four feet of Fairy's Sword!# His confidence waned quickly, though. #She _could_ do something, though. About...you know. If she wanted.# Navi gently rubbed the spot she'd hit him on, sighing. #She's grateful to me, Navi. She's my best friend, and she wants to help me. That's all there is.#

Again, Navi snorted. Link's cap quivered like a living thing. Lord Shad leaped back, Sir Ashei catching him with a gleam in her eyes. #Yeah. That's why she's mooning over you half the time. And I seem to remember an 'L' word in the Shadow Temple...#

#Slip of the tongue,# Link muttered. Navi giggled. #Okay then! If you're right, why _doesn't_ she do something? Too sheltered? I bet Morpha'd have a thing or two to say about that. If she hadn't saved me from it, that is. Shy? _Zelda?_ Who was that prince she told to get seared last month?#

Navi pouted, but this time, she was out of answers. Link sighed and gripped the door handle. Onox was one of those who thought he was dirt. Useful dirt, but dirt all the same. _It doesn't matter. I will do what I must. At least Onox respects my skills as a warrior._ There'd be no games in that room. Ganondorf was too dangerous, and too much was at stake. He opened the door and went in, leaving hopeless childhood dreams behind.

#We'll see about that,# Navi quipped.

#Shut up, Navi.#


	11. Part 1, Ch 7: Sixteen: Spirit & Arbiter

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Seven: Sixteen - Spirit and Arbiter**

Zelda, Ruto, Malon and Saria looked into the night sky, laying on the grass of Zelda's garden. They were sprawled out evenly, their heads pointed towards one another. From above, they might have looked like the leaves of a clover. A comet shot through the Sign of the Master Sword. Zelda smiled.

"You're not going to tell us that's you're favorite constellation, Zel?" Ruto asked, eye ridge raised.

"Oh, that's Nayru's Heart," Zelda replied without hesitation. The other women giggled. "What?"

"Nayru's Heart is the Lovers' Sign," Malon said. Zelda flushed. "I thought everyone knew that."

Saria cleared her throat. "Well, in traditional Hylian astrology, Nayru's Heart represents compassion, healing and the blessing of its goddess." She raised a hand and traced the lines of the constellation with one finger. "Its romantic elements came...later."

"Father says that astrology is a weak form of divination," Zelda said softly. "He doesn't think much of the idea that the movement of distant suns affects us personally." The Hylian princess folded her hands behind her head. "I understand that, but...the stars have always seemed magical, to me."

"I've always been fond of scrying, myself," Ruto said, kicking her feet absently.

Saria laughed gently. "Well, sure - that's how you first saw Mikali, right?"

Zelda and Malon laughed as well, while Ruto's fins flattened against her body. "Zoras have a natural talent for scrying in water," she said defensively. "I was good at it back when I was Jabu-Jabu's attendant."

"Uh-huh," Malon drawled, grinning.

"I was!" Ruto said furiously.

"Come on, Ruto," Zelda said soothingly, patting Ruto's hand, "you know Malon's just teasing."

"Yes, the way those cats of yours tease mice," Ruto hissed. Malon swallowed.

"Ruto, that's not nice." Saria looked straight behind her at the Zora princess. "You know Malon doesn't have a mean bone in her body." The Kokiri girl nudged Malon with one small finger.

"Honest, Ruto, I didn't mean anything by it," Malon agreed quickly.

Ruto drummed her fingers against the ground in clear agitation. "Well...all right."

Zelda considered her fellow princess' emotions for a few moments. _In for a green,_ she decided. "What was it like, being the Zora god's attendant?"

The grass beneath Ruto rustled faintly as the Zora shifted in place. Ruto sighed. "It was...Saria could probably explain it better than I can," she said finally. "When I was inside him, cleansing him, transmitting the prayers of my people, letting his mana flow through me...it was a wholeness I can't begin to describe."

"Link made it sound kinda scary," Malon said quietly.

Ruto snorted, though it was not an unkind sound. "Link was only inside Lord Jabu once, when he was infected by those horrible creatures of Ganondorf's," she replied dismissively. "I'm sure it was a horrible experience for him..." Ruto's voice softened. "...between that vile Barinade and a spoiled, half-panicked princess forcing him to carry her."

"You mean he really did carry you around?" Malon blurted.

The Sage of Time felt Ruto close her eyes. "It's not something I'm terribly proud of," the Zora princess whispered. Then she chuckled, peeking out of one eye at the ranch mistress. "Of course, he did use me as a projectile once..."

"He didn't!" Zelda gasped. Saria and Malon laughed hysterically.

"I mentioned that Zoras are immune to electricity," Ruto laughed. "Actually, what I said was more along the lines of questioning his manhood, and that if he couldn't handle a little bio-electric energy, he should let me deal with it." She made a throwing motion with one arm. "So he did!" Zelda gaped at the laughing trio. _It's not funny!_ Zelda thought, scandalized. "It worked, too!" Ruto gasped between laughs. "Kicked the thing right out of the air! Of course, Link was horrified when he realized what he'd done, and came charging to my 'rescue.' I considered finishing it off," she said, laughter fading to chuckles again, "but I wanted to see what he was made of."

"That seems...very unlike Link," Zelda said softly.

"Heh," Ruto replied slyly. "That's when I started getting a crush on him. I figured he respected my skills as a warrior." She sighed happily and gazed into the stars again. "I was right about that part, too, even if he did throw me partly out of exasperation."

Malon shook her head. "How in Farore's name do we always end up talking about him, anyway?"

Zelda, Saria and Ruto looked at their red-headed friend in mild surprise. "He's...Link," Saria replied, waving her hand vaguely in the air. "Hero of Time, saves whole worlds, slays monsters, rescues innocents kidnapped by despots - let's face it, Malon, he's interesting."

"Well, sure," Malon conceded with a shrug, "but we get to hear this stuff first-hand. The rest of you've seen some of it yourselves. I almost saw it once..." She wriggled her toes intently. "Don't get me wrong, I love him like a brother." She chuckled. "That cute kid brother who's always grinning his way out of scrapes, you know what I mean? I just can't figure why he keeps coming up."

"Let's see..." Zelda shook her head as she ticked off points on her fingers. "Let's start with that he's how we all met. The only things all four of us have in common are him and Ganondorf." The Gerudo King's name came out with a growl. "He shows up every time one of us needs him to bail us out of a jam."

"Don't forget very easy on the eyes," Ruto pointed out with a broad grin.

"You're spoken for!" Malon blurted.

"Spoken for, not blind," Ruto retorted, amused. "We Zoras aren't possessive by nature anyway. I only tried grabbing Link so hard because he was so searing slippery." The Water Sage shrugged, still grinning. "Mikali knows I love him. That doesn't stop him from looking at Zelda," she said pointedly, "or me from looking at her Hero."

_Thank you, Impa,_ Zelda thought emphatically, applying her Sheikah training to keep the heat from growing any further in her face. _Mikali? Gods be good._ "Well," she said almost calmly, "it isn't as if you're the only one, Ruto. Brother or no brother, I can't imagine you haven't noticed, Malon."

"Honestly!" Malon flung her arms out and back, landing on either side of the Sage of Time. "Sure, he's cute, but let's be honest, he's kinda..."

Sheikah training fell apart. Zelda's eyes narrowed in spite of herself. "'Kinda' _what?"_ she said, rolling over partway and glancing coolly at the redhead.

"Aw, come on, Zel," Malon groaned, "some of us like 'em a little more...I dunno...manly."

"Manly." Zelda knew her voice was edging towards sounding dangerous, but something inside her didn't care. _Farore! As if I want the competition!_ she thought in frustration. _I did not just think that,_ she amended in private embarrassment. Still, the part that didn't care was taking control of her voice. "You mean being brutish and possessive rather than selfless and caring."

"Now that really wasn't fair, Zelda," Ruto said, smile growing, even as Malon pulled back, chagrined. The Zora winked. "You don't want me to bring the Water Temple into this, do you?"

Zelda turned _bright_ red even before Saria and Malon were sitting fully upright, looking between the two princesses as if watching a badminton game. "Oh, you can't stop there," Malon insisted excitedly. "Link actually made a move on our Zel?"

"It's...complicated," Zelda whispered, throwing a furious look at her 'royal cousin.' "Very complicated. Frankly, Ruto, I'm surprised you brought that whole incident up."

Ruto's fins all but vanished into her scales. She flopped back down into the grass, eyes firmly fixed on the heavens. "Just pointing out that occasionally, even the invincible Princess Zelda likes a little...initiative...from a man."

"Invincible." Zelda exhaled and fell back into the garden's embrace as well. "Hah. And a beard and bravado are hardly the same thing as initiative."

Saria chuckled while Malon was still working her jaw, trying to make words form, or maybe just figure out what happened. "Well, you seem invincible to us," the Forest Sage said agreeably. "Sage of Time, Crown Princess of Hyrule, archmage at fifteen, top archer in the court, best _chess_ player in the court, mistress of the Sheikah arts..."

"Mistress of - tell Impa that, she could use a good laugh," Zelda replied with acerbic humor. "I was barely passable when Bongo Bongo pounded me flat...gods, I still can't say that name with a straight face..." they all giggled at that. "...but between my being on the Council and Ganondorf's forces becoming increasingly active, I haven't had nearly as much time as I'd like to maintain my training." Zelda sighed sadly. "Impa tries, gods bless her, but she's slowed down since last year, and even the Sage of Time has only so many hours in a day."

"Okay, so now you blast 'em instead of kicking their heads off," Malon replied matter-of-factly. "You're only mostly invisible, and fast as thunder instead of lightning. Plus, all that other stuff Saria said." She chuckled. "Heck, even that one dance you do looks a little like you're about to knock someone over."

Zelda gasped and sat back up. "Which dance?" she asked intently. Saria and Ruto looked at each other in confusion, and Malon rubbed her big toes together self-consciously.

"That one with all the twirls, where your leg comes up in a kind of a hook?" Malon stood and tried to perform the spin, nearly falling over. All four ladies laughed, Malon hardest of all. "That looks almost as hard as training to fight!"

The Sage of Time looked her three friends over, weighing them carefully in her mind. _Sear it,_ she decided. _Impa can only kill me once._ "Malon, that dance _is_ a Sheikah training exercise." The three other women boggled openly. "I suppose it can't hurt anything, and perhaps it will mean something of the tribe surviving us. Impa told me about times when the Sheikah have had to serve openly in the court. Some monarchs feared their power, and many nobles were terrified of the Shadow Tribe, so they tried to watch them at all times. They had to devise ways of training the young without arousing suspicion. One of them was the Nocturne Dance." Zelda stood, weaving through the steps as if born to them. Her friends watched, mesmerized. "It's the one form of physical training Impa let me practice before I was twelve."

The trio watched silently until Zelda completed the dance with a complex curtsy that left her arms crossed over her abdomen - a technique useful for trying to stab someone behind her. Then they applauded enthusiastically. "Wow!" Malon gushed. Then she giggled. "We even managed to stop talking about Link!"

They all laughed at that.

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"Hy-AH!" Link shouted, kicking into the air. Impa parried easily with her forearm, but the Hero bounced off the parry and backflipped away before she could grab him. He threw a Deku Nut down, trying to slide past space itself, but the technique didn't come. Link had more than half-expected that, though, so he slid through space normally, sidestepping Impa's spin-kick riposte and bringing his hand around to chop at the back of her neck. That, Impa caught, but as she whirled to throw him, he moved with her throw, cooperating to give himself momentum. Even Impa couldn't hold on to him as he whipsawed around the Sheikah, and he flew all the way to the wall, hitting it with his feet, then flipped forward to land on the ground. He went into the First Forward Stance.

"Enough," Impa said wearily, waving him down. Link's arms drooped, and he leaned against the wall, breathing slowly and steadily. "I appreciate your help in my recovery, but you weary these old bones, Hero."

_"My_ help?" Link chuckled. "I've learned more in the past year than any other two combined, and for me, that's saying something. Oh, and if this is what you're like 'old and tired,' Sage of Shadow," Link replied, still swallowing air hungrily, "I never want to fight you in your prime."

Impa made a sound that Link would have almost believed was a chuckle from anyone else. "Young wolf, you are strong and fast, worthy of your reputation. Were we the same age, I would have fallen to you quickly, skilled as I was even then. A century ago, however, you would just now be awakening, wondering what had befallen you."

"You know, I still don't understand why you can't just hand Ganondorf his head and be done with it," Link said, sinking to the ground while he shook his head.

"For the same reason I could not do the same to you in a real battle, Link," Impa sighed, mimicking him from the opposite side of the sparring mat. "In unarmed combat or with knives, I am your equal even as I am. With your sword and shield, that arsenal you carry everywhere, and your magical skills, I doubt I could have bested you in honest battle at fifty."

"So don't fight him in honest battle." Link drew his finger across his neck. "I'm not a big fan of assassination, _sensei,_ but I've seen what Ganondorf's rule looks like. Farore, so have you."

Impa shook her head. "The Gerudo have long since learned to guard themselves against the Shadow Tribe, and Ganondorf is the mightiest of their sorcerers. If I thought I had a genuine chance, I would make the attempt and die gladly if I took the King of Evil with me, but his power waxes while mine wanes." She looked at Link evenly. "I am surprised to hear you sound so practical, Hero."

Link grimaced. _Here we go again,_ he thought sadly. "Impa, I don't think 'pure of heart' means innocence, necessarily. Purity of purpose may be enough. I hope so." He looked down. _Part of me does, anyway._ "I have no problem with slitting Ganondorf's throat."

"Don't you?" Impa asked gently. "Could you do it? If I trained you for the next year to slay him in his sleep, and the Master Sword accepted you all the same, could you really murder the King of Evil in his bed?"

"Y-" Link began. The word choked in his throat. He gritted his teeth. "Yyy..." _I don't believe this._ He threw up his hands. "Farore! What's the difference?"

Impa smiled fondly. "Honor. You are steeped in it, whatever you may think of yourself after so many years of hardship."

"You tell him, Impa!" Navi squeaked from under Link's hat.

"Quiet, you," Link shot back irritably. #We're not having this conversation again.#

#Why should we? Impa's doing a fine job all by herself,# Navi replied innocently.

Link made an incoherent sound of utter frustration. Soon after, he wilted, hands falling limp on the mat. "You have no idea how much I wish that were true, _sensei._ I..." he brought his hands back up, staring at them in disgust. "I have so much blood on my hands, and I can't even see wrong in it. I look back at what I've done, and only regret the missed thrust, the poorly timed spell. The people I couldn't save."

"Good!" Impa said emphatically, and Link looked up in shock. "You are no soldier, dealing in butchery for your bread - and I say that having served as a soldier many times myself. You are a _Hero,_ young wolf, and every time you have killed a sentient being - a far smaller number than you give yourself credit for - it was because there was no other way to protect others from the poor choices of the ones you brought low."

"What, and I have the right to decide that because I'm 'Chosen by the Gods?' Farore, most people who talk like that are locked away for everyone's good!" Link shook his head again, this time in disbelief.

"No, you have the right to do as you do because you act when you must and think when you can." Impa leaned forward, crimson eyes irresistibly drawing azure to them. "You do not regret because you never kill without need, never judge without cause. Link, there is nothing wrong with you. Yes, I tell you chil-you young heroes and Sages to think, but the time comes where thinking and weighing and considering must give way to _doing._ You do what you must when you must, no more, no less. _That_ is what makes you a Hero, and I believe with all my heart that Farore chose you because of who you are, not the other way around."

Link looked at Impa, body trembling, emotions a tornado. _Impa thinks - _Impa_ thinks -_

#Sure, what does Navi know?# the fairy 'pathed tiredly. #She's just a part of your mind and soul, watched you go through Mandrag's own torment and back, and believes in you with all her heart anyway. No - I believe in you _because_ of who you still are after Mandrag's own torment and back.#

#Navi...# Tears gleamed in the Hero's eyes. #I didn't mean...I never...#

#I know,# she replied tenderly. A few moments later, the fairy chuckled ruefully. #I was being unfair, I guess. After Zelda, Saria, Darunia, Zelda, Ruto, Dotour, Zelda, Marth, Nabooru, Zelda, Ruul, Ambi, Malon, and did I mention Zelda...# Link rolled his eyes. #Looks like it took Little Miss Sheikah to hit the mark, that's all.#

"For the love of Nayru..." He summoned the Ocarina of Time into his hand and let his fingers run across it. #Can we at least leave Labrynna out of it for now, please? It's too soon. Time travel...hurts.# Navi nodded and sat cross-legged in her nest in his hair. "My life is still one battle after another, Impa," he whispered.

Impa nodded. "Ah." She rubbed the side of her nose with one finger, apparently absently, as she regarded him. "And what are we speaking of now, Hero?" Link rubbed the back of his neck, eyes darting everywhere but on the Sheikah. "There is truth in what you say," she continued, and Navi muttered mutinously, "but all times of trouble end. When that day comes, you will know what to do."

There was a knock at the door.

"Hero of Timing," Link quipped shyly, rubbing the back of his neck again and standing. "I've got it, _sensei."_ Impa nodded and waved him on.

Nabooru was waiting for him when he opened the door, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I've got it!" she said excitedly.

"As long as it is not contagious," Impa quipped dryly, "come in." Link sighed and stepped aside, and Nabooru darted into the room.

"And Link complains about my sense of humor," she said, mock-pouting.

Link leaned away from the Spirit Sage, eyeing her dubiously. "Gerudo jokes draw blood, Nabooru. Sometimes literally."

"Pah!" Nabooru waved in the air dismissively. "All this time, we have been waiting for the Evil King to make his move, but this time, we can steal a march on him!" She smiled ferociously and summoned a map to her hand with a gesture, unrolling it with a snap of her wrist. Link whistled.

It was a highly detailed floor plan of what looked like it had once been the Spirit Temple. Some chambers had moved, others were gone, and many were completely new. "This..." Link whispered.

"I got a second agent into Ganondorf's camp," Nabooru whispered excitedly. "It nearly cost the first her life, but she escaped, and we learned of his next move." Her joy faded quickly. "He marches on Altea."

Link paled. "Marth. No." He turned to leave.

"Peace, Hero," Nabooru said quickly, placing her hand on his arm. "I have already warned him." The vicious grin returned. "However, this means the Spirit Temple is virtually unguarded." She snorted, her long Gerudo nose quivering faintly. "They call it the 'Arbiter's Grounds' now, blaspheming jackals, but they'll pay for their disrespect toward holy Din!"

"So that _is_ her..." Link said quietly. _No. Fight now, explore later._ "Nabooru, you said 'virtually' unguarded."

Impa nodded. "What has the foul one left behind?"

"Traps," Nabooru said dismissively. "Animals that walk like men. His usual contingent of vile half-dead monstrosities." Her eyes narrowed, and the predatory gleam in her eyes redoubled. "And the traitorous twins, the heart of all Gerudo corruption - Koume and Kotake!" She grasped Link's shoulder hard. "Hero, gather a small band of those you trust. I shall bring my finest warriors. Together, we will finally destroy those sow-kissing Mandrag worshipers!"

Link's lips pressed together into a worried slash. "I don't like it, Nabooru. It's too easy." He glanced up. #Navi? What do you think?#

#Oh, _now_ my opinion counts - Farore, Link, I didn't mean it!# she cut in quickly, the hurt shooting through Link like a flame. #Just give me a second.# Link calmed down, but Navi frowned all the same. #It sure sounds like something Ganondorf and his so-called 'mothers' would come up with...but can we afford to pass up the chance anyway?#

#I'm afraid that's what they're counting on.# Link clenched and unclenched his hands. "I don't suppose we can get away with not telling Zelda about this."

"If you think we can hide it from her for long enough," Impa said evenly, "I'm willing to risk her wrath as well, but you know Zelda."

Nabooru scowled in outrage, crossing her arms. "That is unworthy, Hero. Twinrova owes Zelda a debt of blood as much as she does you. Besides, I passed her and her friends on the way down. She already knows I'm here."

"Din, Nayru and Farore," Link sighed. "In for a green, in for a red, I guess." He frowned. "How long do we have?"

"A few days march out, however long it takes Ganondorf to realize Altea isn't going to fall, a few days back." Nabooru thumped Link on the shoulder, the outrage already past. "Time enough for that devious mind of yours to work its wizardry."

Link frowned. _Devious mind. I wish. I've out-thought Ganondorf's puzzles, but only his arrogance let me beat him last time._ A sudden thought hit him like lightning, though, and his smile mirrored Nabooru's. _Zelda._

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Sheik gazed up placidly at what had once been the Spirit Temple. Outwardly, she was as impassive as any Sheikah, her placid expression perhaps even the equal of he whose name the Temple now bore. _Din, Nayru and Farore,_ she swore mentally. _How dare they?_

Link's hand was still on her shoulder, a stable center to her ever-changing world. Impa, her other touchstone, stood by her side with an expression similar to her own. Sheik's _sensei_ glanced at her casually, but Sheik knew the older Sheikah was making sure she was all right. _Light and Time, am I?_ Zelda wondered.

_Farore._ Her birth-self was slipping into her alter-ego. _I'll hear about that from Impa tomorrow._ Sheik's eyes narrowed at the sprawling titan of the Arbiter's Grounds. _If we live through this, that is._ She glanced behind her. Hiding a grin, Sheik faced forward again, watching the three Gerudos through her mind's Eye.

Nabooru had come, of course, citing "her plan" at length, though by Gerudo standards she was no more than an above-average warrior. That made her the equal of most Hylian knights, but given what they were facing, only her stubborn implacability - and her unparalleled skills as a sneak, lockpick and general conqueror of traps - had ensured her presence. Sheik was comforted by her all the same.

The two allies she'd brought were as impressive in their own ways as the Spirit Sage herself. Telma, Nabooru's ad-hoc bodyguard, was large and powerful, though attractive all the same, and moved with a deceptive slowness when her twin scimitars were not in her hands. With them, on the other hand, she was a living whirlwind to rival the Hero himself, with a raw power he could not match without magic. Ilia was slender and graceful, hardly looking Gerudo at all with her strawberry-blonde hair, and wielded blades that were more saber than scimitar. She was deadly with them all the same - she was Gerudo, after all - but Nabooru hadn't chosen her for her swordplay. Ilia knew both Din's Fire and Nayru's Love, was one of the rare few to master the dreaded Ice Arrows, and wielded a mixed bag of less legendary wizard's tricks. Each was the best among Nabooru's faithful in their chosen fields.

It was an alliance that would have made entire brigades tremble on the battlefield, but Sheik still found her blood running cold, even in the oppressive desert heat. The Spirit Temple had been sacrosanct even during Ganondorf's reign in Link's original stream. _Link did more damage to it than anyone,_ Sheik thought with grim amusement. The Hero withdrew his hand quietly and strode forward. "The Spirit Temple had all manner of insane traps and puzzles," he said evenly, "so we have to be careful and examine every room carefully."

"Of course," Nabooru said with a grin. "Thank you, Hero. We Gerudo would never have known our own Temple so well without you." Telma and Ilia both laughed.

Link didn't laugh. "This isn't the Spirit Temple we knew, Nabooru." The Gerudos stopped laughing. "Even if you were forced to explore every corner the way I was, we have to assume the worst - that nothing we remember is right, and everything from the great statue to the simple floor beneath us could be a trap."

"You have such pleasant thoughts, Hero," Ilia said sardonically. Her smile matched her tone.

Sheik shook her head. Link merely looked over his shoulder, affording the young Gerudo a brief, cool glance. "If you want to live through this day, you'll assume Ganondorf makes me look like an optimist." He turned and drew his sword and shield. The sunlight made the strange violet blade seem to glow. "Let's go."

Ilia's smile vanished. "Chief Nabooru, is he serious?"

The Spirit Sage nodded grimly. "When he's like this, you follow his lead, Gerudo," she said firmly. _Exit, Nabooru the laughing thief,_ Sheik thought, watching the trio carefully, _enter, the Chief of the free Gerudo._

Telma, on the other hand, did laugh, clapping an impressive hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't you fret, honey," the older Gerudo said cheerfully. "We'll bring back Ganondorf's eyes as souvenirs."

Even Link smiled at that, though it was a faint, ghostly thing. Zelda's heart fell. _FARORE!_ Sheik snarled at herself, then focused firmly. The First Mind Kata pulsed through her thoughts, her will. _Zelda does not exist,_ she thought firmly. _I am Sheik. I am the Shadow, the invisible hand of justice, the blade by night for those who hide evil by day. I am Sheikah, the guardian in the dark, the shield of the dark._ She paced forward placidly, relieved that at least her body revealed nothing of her turmoil. It was a stroll through the Spirit Temple, nothing more. _To those who live honestly, we are salvation. To those who threaten the innocent, we are doom. I am Sheik._ The mantra began to hum calmly, receding in her mind. It was Truth, now. She was Sheik.

#Good,# Impa 'pathed evenly. #Now, the mission.#

Sheik nodded, chagrin pulsing through the psychic field. Link's head flickered slightly towards her, his ears quivering faintly like antennae. "Sheik? You all right?" he asked quietly.

Sheik nodded. "Of course. Lead on, Hero." Link nodded and opened the door.

The Evil Realm itself seemed to boil out at them.

Link didn't even bother swearing. He seemed to have almost expected this. Immediately, he thrust his blade into the nearest foe, a Lizalfos warrior, who fell backwards clutching a hole of black flame. More enemies surged forward, but he was ready for that as well, and Sheik darted aside to allow him to use his legendary Spin Attack. That sent foes flying in every direction, some of them no longer whole. Dark Fire burned their remains all across the platform in front of the entrance.

"Din!" Telma spat, her scimitars already flashing. Sheik and Impa had already leaped into the air, the younger Sheikah hanging by her chain and throwing blades with her free hand, Impa having found a ledge to hook her legs over and loose death with both fists.

Ilia drew her bow, the arrow's head shimmering with frost, but for a moment she stared in awed amazement at the Hero. Link tore through more monsters with each passing second. A bomb flew into a pack of them, bursting a flock of keese like balloons. A Stalfos chuckled when Link's sword hit its shield, its humor vanishing when the Hero blocked its own blade. Quickly, Link summoned the Hammer and crushed it with one massive blow. "Beware the Stalfos," he called out calmly, slaying a Wolfos as he spoke. "Destroy them completely or they may reform."

"Now that's not polite," Telma laughed, slashing a Lizalfos nearly in half as she moved towards the Hero. Ilia fired her Ice Arrow into the fray, worsening the bottleneck for Ganondorf's welcoming committee. Nabooru appeared at last, laughing more than Telma as she slashed at the attackers from behind. Somehow, she was already inside the room, and several monsters fell before they realized the Gerudo Chief had single-handedly opened a second front.

#Farore,# Impa thought loudly enough for Sheik to hear, then vanished. Sheik fought a grin as the sounds of battle inside the room literally redoubled. "Reckless girl," the last true Sheikah growled faintly.

"Come on, tell me you're not enjoying this - HNN!" Nabooru gasped.

Link, who had switched back to the Great Fairy's Sword, gritted his teeth and again switched weapons to the Megaton Hammer. "Farore," he hissed, no longer concerning himself with defense. "Clear! DIN'S FIRE!" The moment Impa had helped Nabooru retreat, he cast the spell with the inhuman speed granted him as the Hero of Time. He charged in, crushing another Stalfos, which left room for Telma to follow. The battle lasted only a few scant seconds after that.

"Din, Nayru and Farore," Ilia swore, once again staring in wonder at Link. "Who are you?"

"I told you, girl," Nabooru laughed, "he's the Hero of Time! OW! Impa!"

Impa tightened the bandage harder. "Next time, I wrap you in these and have Link send you back," she said tonelessly.

"Maybe another time," Nabooru quipped, winking bawdily at the Hero. Link, predictably, blushed.

"You've got good taste, Chief," Telma replied, amusement clear in every line of her face.

"None of this," Impa hissed, and Sheik's Mind Kata reverberated in shock at the sight of her mentor so visibly emotional, "is remotely amusing. We are just over the threshold, and we already have wounded. Unless Link's miraculous ability to reap weapons and power from the remains of his foes can replenish us all, we're down arrows, needles and mana as well." As if summoned by her remarks, Link handed Ilia a sheaf of arrows and a small green bottle. He drank a second he'd found. They all looked at each other; the Hero had helped considerably, but Impa's point still held.

"Impa, honey," Telma said, smile waning yet not vanishing, "I know you're trying to help, but in spite of what you're hearing we are taking this seriously." She shrugged, grin broadening again. "Well, as seriously as we ever take anything. 'Life's too important to take seriously.'"

Impa looked at Nabooru dryly enough to dehydrate her even in the desert wastes. "Another of your sayings?"

Nabooru merely pointed at the ceiling. Impa looked up, her eyes flickering across the text. #Farore,# Sheik heard her think, but outwardly the Shadow Sage's only reaction was to blink.

That brought Sheik back to her surroundings, only half-surprised to see Link standing before one of the two great slabs inscribed with the messages meant for him personally. "'Pure heart of a child,'" he whispered, caressing the engraved letters almost sadly. "No more sailing with the Master Sword for us, huh, Navi?"

"Good riddance," Navi replied emphatically. "I just can't understand why they're still there."

"To taunt us," Link said, his voice surprisingly even. "Let's keep moving. This isn't going to get any better for a while."

"What about the Silver Gauntlets?" Nabooru asked darkly.

Link frowned in thought. "The Arbiter has to be at least partly responsible for redesigning the Temple," he said after a few moments. "Given his priorities, I doubt he made it impossible to reach them."

"How close to impossible he made it is another matter," Impa muttered direly.

Nabooru chuckled. "Pah. Between the six of us, if it is possible, we will reach them." She started to stride forward when Impa caught her shoulder.

"Link takes point," Impa said firmly.

"Aww," Nabooru replied with a mock whine. Her glance at the Hero, however, was entirely serious. "I know I don't have to tell you this, Link, but I'll say it anyway - be careful. You're the one he wants dead the most."

Link nodded and headed into the Grounds, the five women following. _He hasn't even noticed,_ Sheik realized, not quite letting the smile form. _Most men probably would have said something by now, especially after Impa had him take the lead._ They went through a door and down a long, relatively empty corridor to another door. Link threw it open.

Sand was pouring down from the ceiling. Broken tiles littered the floor. Giant insects of several varieties crawled over sand and tiles alike. "Interesting decor," Sheik deadpanned.

Link merely drew his Hookshot and disposed of every bug in range in short order. Then he grappled onto a nearby grate and shot across part of the room. Sheik uncoiled her chain, looked at it, then slipped it back into her fairy space unused. _Longshot,_ she thought sourly.

Stalfos rose from the sand. "Of course," Nabooru drawled, and they immediately tore into the skeletal warriors. They put an end to the battle quickly, Link finishing off intact remains with the Hammer, but Telma had taken a light slash across the belly and Sheik was favoring her right foot. _Farore,_ she sighed mentally.

They continued on, avoiding whirlpools of sand in the next room, then came to a large chamber with four strange, reaper-like ghosts above pillars. Each pillar had a different-colored flame over it. The ghosts took one look at them and fled in separate directions, taking the flames with them. "Not again," Link groaned, the others giving him looks of varying levels of surprise. Sheik merely grimaced in sympathy. She and Link activated their Eyes in unison. "Green trail?" he asked.

Sheik nodded. The strange Poe-like monsters were considerably more vicious than their normal, bulbous counterparts, and tracking them down was a chore, but in the end were no more of a match for the group than any of the other monstrosities they'd yet fought.

"If this is the best Ganondorf has," Telma said with a grin, "I'm not likely to regret telling him where to put his scimitars." Nabooru rubbed her eyes wearily.

"You didn't," Ilia replied, dubious. Telma just smiled.

"There were few traps in this," Link noted quickly. "Watch yourselves." They returned to the chamber with the four re-lit flames and moved through the now-unlocked door.

A long corridor awaited them on the other side, unremarkable except that it sloped slightly upward. Warily, Link padded forward, the others following closely. He, Impa and Sheik used their Eyes constantly, and Nabooru checked practically every other stone. All the same, when they were halfway down the corridor, bars fell across both doorways and a huge stone ball landed in front of them. It began to roll in their direction, slowly at first, then with greater speed as it descended towards the heroes.

Link turned and ran, waving for the others to do the same. "Where are we running to?" Ilia demanded, though she obeyed immediately.

Link's response was to look up. He smiled sourly. "Always a way out. Impa! Sheik! Pick a Gerudo and chain-shot up there!" He pointed at what looked briefly to Sheik like solid rock, but her Eye quickly revealed a hidden shaft with Hook points. With a faint grimace, she leaped forward, grabbed Ilia, and let her chain fly. Impa snatched up Nabooru, and Link hauled Telma over his shoulder with ease. The six flew up over the corridor, the Gerudos gaping. Even Nabooru winced as they seemed to fly straight at solid rock, but to their credit, none of the Gerudos flinched significantly.

Sheik glared at the smooth rock sphere as it crashed into the door below them. Link's ear twitched, and he perked up like a cat hearing a bottle being opened. "We're good. It's over."

"How can you tell?" Nabooru breathed.

Link let go of his ledge, taking the brunt of his and Telma's landing, then gently placed the big Gerudo warrior on the ground. "I can...hear this...sound, I guess, this chime, when there's no more elements to a trap or riddle. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's never wrong."

The quasi-Sheikah regarded the Hero with as much calm as she could affect while helping Ilia to the floor. Impa and Nabooru, of course, were back on their feet. _Every time I think I know him..._ Sheik thought fondly. "A sound," she said.

"Sort of a chime," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He grinned, and Sheik examined the boulder carefully. "I think it's Farore's way of telling me I'm done, so I'll stop playing with the architecture." They moved on at that, no one able to say much in response.

The next group of rooms had a variety of gears and pulleys. Link examined the floor, brushing aside a pile of sand to reveal small round holes in the floor. Navi flew out of his hat, and the pair looked at each other. "We're going to have to turn these in some kind of pattern," he said grimly, looking up. "Those grooves in the ceiling - look out for blades from above," he continued, then pointed at the holes, "and spikes from the floor."

Nabooru looked almost excited at the prospect, immediately darting to one of the gears and examining it with devilish delight. "Should be able to jam these good," the Spirit Sage said with relish. "Turn the whole thing into a mess of pulleys and mana engines...if we're lucky, something will even break hard enough to shut the whole thing down."

"And Malon says I'm scary," Link quipped.

"You are," Nabooru shot back with a broad smile.

"I take it," Impa said calmly, "you are certain that no lifts, doors or rotating sections of stone are connected to this system." Nabooru threw the Shadow Sage a deeply offended look, saying nothing, then returned to her examination with an air of complete disinterest in Impa's opinion.

Telma and Ilia took one look at each other and walked to the barred and chained far door, the spot farthest from Nabooru without stepping into the eternally descending sands. Ilia leaned against the wall next to it, while Telma slowly paced as much as the small space near the exit allowed. Link joined Nabooru at her task, though in a separate section of the room. Sheik and Impa kept watch, moving fluidly through the area.

"This is going to take a while, isn't it?" Telma asked. Link and Nabooru nodded in unison. The big Gerudo warrior sighed and sat on a broken column near the door.

Link's head shot up and whirled to look at Telma. "Stop!" he shouted...a fraction of a second too late. Telma leaped back up, but the column sank into the floor, followed by sliding and grinding sounds in the walls. A few seconds passed, but nothing happened.

Then a spinning blade shot down from one of the ceiling grooves, its arc implying a disc as wide as a small room itself. It spun towards Link, but the Hero ducked and held his shield over his head. Bladed disk met Hylian Shield, and though the impact threw Link back, the defense held. The blade retracted back into the ceiling. Telma's eyes seemed as wide as the disc. "You okay, honey?" she asked, her voice a touch shaken.

Link nodded, smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. Then he returned to his examination. Sheik began checking the floor stones more closely. "Impa, these indented stones, the ones with the diamonds engraved in them..." she said.

"Yes, I have been avoiding them too," Impa replied. "They likely activate more mechanisms."

Nabooru turned and looked at the two Sheikah, then almost ran over to the nearest floor stone in question. "Let me see that." She brushed the sand off the stone with deliberate care, then peered at it. "Everyone find a spot that doesn't put holes under you or grooves over you," she ordered. Link obeyed with alacrity, the others following his example in short order. "Now, what do you do, my little friend..." Nabooru grinned, took her dagger, and drew a line that bisected the diamond. This cleaned out a groove that delineated two equilateral triangles.

Sheik frowned. "That cannot be a symbol of the Triforce."

"Light and Shadow," Impa replied.

Link immediately looked around the room excitedly. "Nabooru, which one is pointing toward the exit?" he asked, moving towards one of several rays of sunlight streaming in through the cracks.

"What do you mean, which one - oh, wait, this one has the sun disk in it!" she said, brushing off the triangle directed at the exit.

Link grinned, then his face grew placid and his eyes closed halfway. The bloody Eye formed on his brow. "Aha," he chuckled, then switched to the Mirror Shield and redirected the beam to shine directly above the door. A smiling, animated sun-face appeared, and the chains retracted. He lowered the shield, but the 'sun' remained. "Now for the bars."

"What are you supposed to do at night?" Ilia asked.

"Point a beam of moonlight at the crescent above the entrance," Link said, pointing at an apparently blank spot above the doorway they'd come through, "or wait until morning. Remember, the Sun's Song is your friend."

"If you happen to wield Time itself," Nabooru noted dryly. "Fortunately, these gears are impressive, but require nothing more than ingenuity. Clear, Hero?" Link took one step to his right and nodded. Nabooru took what looked like a small gear with a handle on the end out of her pouch and stuck it in one of the gaps in the wall mechanisms. Its teeth grew until it fit, and then it turned, sending the entire wall into motion. Finally, it clicked, and there was...a chime, very much like what Link had described. The bars retracted.

Sheik looked around. "Did anyone else hear that?" she asked. Link raised his hand, but pulled it back with a slight display of timidity when the other four women looked at each other in confusion. "Never mind. We should move on. Hero?"

Link nodded and moved forward, the Sages and Gerudo warriors following again.

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#Navi, what've we got?# Link asked.

#Din statue, dead ahead,# Navi reported. #Big hands with chests in 'em. Exploding statues, I think.# The fairy projected a frown. #More Stalfos, though, I think. Four piles of bones, two under each hand, with a sword and shield in them.#

#Lovely.# Link looked the door over with his Eye, then checked it for small markings. It seemed entirely normal. _At least we're getting some actual Spirit Temple here._ He frowned in sync with his fairy companion. _I wish that were more comforting than it is._ "Everyone watch yourselves. We may have more Stalfos to deal with." He opened the door and strode warily in, his companions following and spreading out carefully.

Once they had all entered, the door closed behind them, and all the doors in the room grew bars. The skeletons came to life, only four to the heroes' six, but instead of just swords and shields, armor flew from Din's hands to cover them, and they moved with a deadly grace the Iron Knuckles had lacked. One wore a helm with a tall crest, and its sword flared out with a curving blade at the end. "Light and Time. Those are new."

"Darknuts," Impa said coldly. "Rare and powerful. I'd hoped my tribe had destroyed the knowledge to create them." The six spread out, Ilia standing back and preparing a spell of some sort. "Alas, it appears we did not."

"Or you did, and the Arbiter restored it," Link replied furiously. "On the off chance I live through all of this, I'm-"

"Don't say such things," Sheik said with a quaver he'd never heard in the quasi-Sheikah's voice before. She dodged a swifter blow than Link had ever seen an Iron Knuckle throw, and her needles flew into every joint as well as through the helm's grating. _Whatever brought that on,_ Link thought with mixed emotions, _at least it's not hurting her moves any._ Unfortunately, the traditional Sheikah weaponry seemed unable to hurt these undead juggernauts.

Navi loyally darted into place over one of the creature's heads, and Link leaped at it, slashing expertly. The armor shook, straps snapping, but it held, and the inhuman knight riposted. The Hero just barely brought up his shield in time. _Oboy._ He didn't have to think hard to wonder what four of these would have done to him by himself. _Time to try some of those moves Impa and Nabooru have been teaching me._ He dodged sideways as it swung again, rolling around behind it, then leaping up with a cry and a spin. As relatively fast as the 'Darknut' was, it was still plodding compared to the Hero of Time. Straps gave way all across its back, and the chest plate fell around its legs. Link grinned mischievously and kicked it in the back.

With a cry of fury that echoed with a metallic ring, the Darknut fell over. Link stabbed at it with incredible speed over and over, and its armor fell apart. He then backflipped and sent a Bombchu darting into the creature. Armor and bones flew in every direction. Link's smile became triumphant, and he turned to survey the battle. His smile vanished.

Ilia was backflipping away from one foe, Sheik barely slowing it with her chain. Telma was doing well against her opponent, laughing jubilantly, her scimitars spinning like the disc blades they'd just faced. Impa and Nabooru kept their distance from the leader, each hitting it with a superficial blow when it threatened to close with the other. _That won't hold it for long._ As badly as Link wanted to help Ilia and Sheik, they didn't seem to be in any immediate danger. The Hero charged with a wordless roar at the crested knight.

It turned and saluted him, much to Link's surprise, then charged as well. Impa leaped to Sheik's side and Nabooru joined Telma, leaving the Hero to contend with the powerful monster. Link's smile returned, a feral, hungry thing. Navi appeared over the knight's head, and the familiar sense of divination came to him. #Darknut Captain - strip his armor, outmaneuver his swordplay, then smash him to bits!# Link's expression reversed again, becoming a deep scowl. _Farore. I have to beat him three times?_ Had he been alone after all, he knew which of the foes he would have saved for last.

He wasn't alone, however, and as long as he kept this titan busy, his allies could no doubt deal with the remaining knights without much trouble. Link slid towards the Darknut carefully. It slashed at him, Link spun behind it, and the duel began.

Repeatedly, they traded blows, Link's speed and his foe's resilience an almost even match. The Hero was wearing down the undead knight's armor, but it was tireless and after so many battles and trials in a short time, Link was not. He couldn't do this forever, and one last piece of the armor's puzzle was eluding him. It barely hung together, but something held it in place.

_Nayru._ He concentrated, summoning the Eye, but no weakness revealed itself. He threw a bomb, but the Darknut blocked it with his shield. Fire, Ice and Light all proved ineffective as well. A Deku Nut stunned it briefly, surprising the Hero, but that simply gave him the chance to stab at the thing's body some more. It returned the blow in kind, and Link grunted when the powerful slash knocked him back. _What's left..._

_The helmet?_ Link wondered. _Maybe it's time to try another new trick._ He wasn't well practiced at this, but it was all he had left. He leaped shield-first into the thing, staggering it, then did a tumbling leap over its head and slashed at the helmet as he went past. "SEI-YAH!" he roared, and the helmet went flying. The armor fell apart like a house of cards, but the knight's response was to fling sword and shield alike at the Hero and draw a more slender blade. He still wore a helmet, a slim bucket-like cylinder, and light chain mail.

Even so, Link's frown vanished, replaced with only intense determination. The rest, he felt certain he could handle. They danced around each other, the Darknut nearly as fast as he this time, but Link was ready for it. He had a shield; his foe did not. That made the second part of the fight simple, if not easy. While he took two more blows, Link quickly dispatched this swifter form.

From the chainmail, a Stalfos arose, bones sheathed in Dark Fire. It gazed at him like the depths of the Evil Realm itself. "You shall not prevail, Hero of Time," it echoed with a voice that seemed to hollow out Spirit itself. Nabooru flinched. "Mandrag shall yet consume you and take your princess."

That was its last mistake. With a roar of absolute fury, Link switched sword for Hammer and charged at the monster. It stabbed at him, but the Hero simply ignored the blow and slammed the legendary Goron weapon into his enemy's body with a starkly absurd speed. It survived two blows, but the third reduced it to powder. Its Dark Fire flickered weakly. "I will destroy you, Hero of Time..." the flame hissed hatefully, then vanished.

Link didn't waste time with a fallen foe, merely summoning his sword and examining the battlefield. Telma and Nabooru were struggling to finish off another knight in chainmail, but only because it kept fleeing them. Impa, Sheik and Ilia, oddly, were having more trouble. They, too, had reduced their opponent to the lighter, faster form, but it appeared from the glowing hot plates that only Ilia's spells had any effect, and the two Sheikah had to keep moving the wizard around to protect her. That was clearly making spellcraft difficult. Once more, the Hero smiled viciously. _I can fix that._ He slammed straight into the creature's back. It had missed his arrival, distracted by a Deku Nut from Impa at the perfect moment, and did no more than thrash as he drove the Great Fairy's Sword from the base of its spine all the way into its bucket-like helm.

This one did not turn into a Stalfos, mercifully, merely vanishing as most of Ganondorf's summoned monsters did. The Hero turned to finish the last one, but Telma beat him to it, finally driving both scimitars into her foe. She winked at him as it vanished. "Can't let you get them all, honey," she said with a laugh. "My reputation would be ruined!"

The room echoed with the familiar mana resonance of a trial being completed, and the bars opened. A shaft of sunlight shot into the center of the room. Link rubbed his hair in confusion. "That's new," he muttered.

"How odd," Ilia whispered, walking towards the light. "It feels...the light is almost mana itself..." she strode towards the ray more quickly with each step. Nabooru frowned at both the light and Ilia.

Link suddenly had an awful feeling. "Ilia! STOP!" He darted towards her, but she was running by the time he realized the danger. _She's mesmerized! Din SEAR Kotake anyway!_ He'd almost reached her when she entered the heart of the light, reaching up at it with an open hand.

The floor vanished from beneath her. "Farore," Link breathed, making one last desperate leap toward the Gerudo. _Yes!_ he exulted as he grasped her hand. _No!_ he quailed as he realized he was going to go over with her. Ilia gasped, but gripped his hand tightly. Link did the only thing he could think to do - he summoned the Hookshot and took aim at the wooden chest on the floor. He fired, already going under, but miraculously he hit his mark, and the chain jerked them both to a halt. They briefly dangled over a vortex of sand the size of a small city, and then the Hookshot pulled them to solid ground.

Nabooru had been only half a step behind him, Link realized as he and Ilia skidded to a stop. The Spirit Sage spent another second whirling around trying to figure out how to grab them, then realized they were safe and exhaled in outrage. "Of all the insane - Hero, I thank the gods you saved her, but what in Nayru's name were we supposed to do if you'd fallen as well?"

Ilia looked mortified, but Link met the Gerudo Chief's gaze firmly. "I don't believe in 'expendable.' You know that, Spirit Sage."

"Farore!" Nabooru swore explosively.

Impa placed a hand on Nabooru's shoulder. Link was amazed at how gentle the gesture looked. "Nabooru, that is what he is. That is _who_ he is. He cannot stop helping people any more than he can stop breathing, and continue to live." The Sheikah made an odd clicking sound with her tongue. "I sometimes wish it were otherwise myself, but if it were, he would not be...Link."

The Hero suddenly felt deeply self-conscious. Telma was grinning from ear to ear, Sheik was giving him an absolutely unreadable look, and Ilia...Ilia was still holding his hand. She, too, was smiling, though hers reminded him of a cat hunting a hummingbird - the challenge was only an incentive. "So. Hero. Just how taken are you?" she asked slyly.

"Farore," Link breathed nervously. Telma and Nabooru both laughed uproariously. _Gerudo humor!_ he thought in sudden outrage, skittishness burning away in the thought's heat. _Din sear them!_ He released Ilia's hand quickly and stood. "Now that we've all had a good laugh," he said more hotly than he'd intended, "I suspect we have a lot more of the Arbiter's Grounds to get through."

Ilia glanced coolly at Telma and her Chief, then stood and bowed slightly to the Hero. Her smile returned when she was done. "I was quite serious, Lord Hero."

_Wh-Lord WHAT? Light and Time!_ He cleared his throat. "I live and die at Zelda's command," he replied, his voice far less forceful than he would have wished, but honesty echoed in his voice. He thought. He hoped. He looked up at the sunbeam with determination. "Okay. We need to get up there, about even with the face - that's halfway between floors, as you can probably see. There's a platform at the top we can lower, or at least there used to be. There also used to be a series of mirrors..." he gazed for several moments longer at the ray of light, mind whirling, ignoring the older Gerudos' further amusement. _Wait a minute._ He thought of Zelda first, but 'Sheik' lacked the talent he wanted here. He turned back to Ilia, who wiped away the mild look of disappointment with ease. "Ilia, how's your mind over matter ability?"

She blinked at him, then smiled immediately. "I can lift over three hundred pounds - slowly, but my stamina is superior." Sheik played with needle-blades in one hand. It looked like a nervous tic, but Sheikah didn't have nervous tics. _Do they? What do I really know about the Sheikah?_ Link wondered. Sheik and Impa shared an indecipherable glance.

_Oh, for the love of Nayru. My curiosity can wait._ He nodded, then stepped up to the edge of the light. "You know what to do," he said, bringing the Mirror Shield to bear.

She did. Ilia lifted her arms into the air, and Link floated up, moving slowly into the beam. Angling the Mirror Shield carefully, he aimed it at the goddess' forehead. _Sorry about this, Din,_ he thought sadly. _I really hate to do this, but it can't be helped._

#We understand, Hero of Time.# It was a woman's voice, not unlike that of Din-the-Oracle from Holodrum, but echoing with a power that made his whole body tremble. _Could that have...?_

Forcing the thought from his mind, sparing only a prayer of thanks for their understanding if he _had_ heard right, he waited as he held his reflected beam steady. The entire Temple shuddered.

Finally, Din's head turned into a gently swirling mass of sand and floated aside. The chests in each hand opened of their own accord, Link staring down in surprise at the sound of the familiar mana chime. One held the Silver Gauntlets; the other, the Mirror Shield. _Impossible! Did he know - how could he have - grrr! If I live through this, I'm going to kill that guy!_

#You know better than that,# Navi sighed, #but I definitely understand what you mean.# They watched the two artifacts levitate into the air. Time energy spiraled around each, and they vanished into the other stream's future. _One year left._

Ilia finally shoved him into the opening, then released the Hero. She stopped to take a long breath. "Okay, who's next?"

Sheik snorted and vanished, reappearing at Link's side. Impa shook her head and joined them. The true Sheikah held out her hand. Sheik unhesitatingly handed the Shadow Sage her chain. Impa attached the two through some trick she hadn't taught Link, then draped it down. "You three can climb up this way," she said. "Link, a hand?" she whispered.

Link nodded, gripped the chain, and put on the Iron Boots. "Watch my back."

"Always," Sheik replied, a hint of humor in her voice. Link didn't blush again, but it was a near thing. A sudden chill went down Link's spine, remembering how Koume and Kotake kidnapped Nabooru last time, but all three Gerudos made it up the chain without incident.

They went down the corridor, Link again taking the lead. He opened the door on the other end. _Why am I not surprised?_ he thought grimly. A huge circular chamber confronted them, a rim of a path surrounding a titanic sand pit. This one, at least, was not swirling into oblivion. Instead, it held only the skull of some huge animal, and at that its top half was all they could see. All the same, it looked familiar to the Hero. _Where..._ He looked up. #Navi?# The fairy shook her head, though she stared at the remains as if trying to bore a hole in it with her eyes.

There were twin swirls of power above them, and Koume and Kotake appeared - or at least, Link had to assume they were Koume and Kotake, because even though they rode the same brooms, one trailing fire and the other shimmering with ice, each looked like a smaller version of Twinrova! They each wore only the one hat and had but a single color of hair, Koume's the flaming red of the Gerudo and Kotake's a shimmering silver-blue, but other than that each looked tall and formidable. _Someone who didn't know them,_ Link observed in disgust, _might call them beautiful._

"Heh heh heh, look at this, Kotake, it's a grand party we receive!" Koume laughed, but for all that it had the same essence, her voice was too sweet to truly cackle.

Kotake giggled. Link felt ill. She sounded almost like a lovesick teenager at first. Then she spoke. "Indeed, Koume, but all they'll do is grieve!" Her voice was even more extraordinary than Koume's, but it echoed with a cruelty that, even after all his travels, made Link's blood run cold.

As one, they shouted a "ki-AI!" and drew down a ball of raw mana half the size of the room from far above. It flew into the skull and infused it. The entire skeleton rose from the sands, and finally, Link recognized it. He swallowed. _King Dodongo. Again. And something tells me he won't be swallowing any bombs,_ he thought, looking at the open rib cage hanging from his spine, _or sinking into lava._ The undead giant roared, and the entire chamber shook.

"Din help us!" Nabooru cried, bringing her swords to bear all the same. Something echoed in the chamber, a reverberation that reminded Link of Ruto and the Hall of Illusion.

"Spirit Sage!" Link shouted over the thing's roars. "I think Din might just hear you!" He threw bombs under its feet as it pounded towards them with depressing speed, but the explosions barely made it shudder as it approached the cluster of heroes.

"Scatter!" Nabooru ordered firmly, and they did. _Whatever you may think of your swordsmanship, Nabooru,_ Link thought with gratitude, _you make one fine leader._ The Spirit Sage scanned the walls, clearly reading the inscriptions in the stone, while occasionally feeling the cracks with her fingers.

Impa and Sheik had darted in separate directions, throwing knives into its many bone joints and distracting it with flashes of light. Telma ran towards Sheik, who was heading towards the Hero. Ilia followed Impa, both of them watching the Spirit Sage's back. _Thank Din,_ he thought, then looked at the sand in annoyance. _Here we go._ He summoned the Hover Boots. Ilia's magic would surely come in handy, but Link suspected they'd need his arsenal to defeat the thing. He ran across the sands, hoping Lenzo's improvements held, and charged at the huge monster.

"Link," Sheik whispered. She followed him onto the sand, her impossibly light steps keeping her from sinking in this relatively calm pit. The Hero gritted his teeth and concentrated. Navi appeared above its head, and Link learned that it had a weak spot...somewhere. _Not much, but better than nothing._ He threw a bomb at its back from underneath, then tossed a Deku Nut into the inside of its head. The bomb made the whole body shudder, but the Deku Nut seemed to drive it completely mad for a few seconds. It stomped in place wildly, and Link had to perform several acrobatic dodges to avoid being flattened. Sheik evaded with ease.

The Hover Boots gave out, and his feet sank into the sand. _Great._ He rolled across the sand, leaped into the air, and summoned the Hover Boots again. That, at least, worked, and he ran back towards their foe, looking at it intently. _Weak spot...weak spot..._ his eyes flew across the body of what Navi had dubbed 'Stallord.' Link's eyes finally locked onto a vertebra that looked weak and cracked. #Navi, did my bomb weaken that point?#

Navi whirled around the creature, then sprang into place above the damaged bone. #Yes!# she sent happily. Then her tone saddened. #Not much, though. You're going to need to hit it straight on!#

Link grimaced and nocked an Ice Arrow. Letting Navi provide focus, he fired. The ice magic cracked the bone further, but only a bit. "Farore." Ilia threw a burst of flame at the same spot, following his lead. That looked like it might have damaged the thing a bit, but didn't seem promising. _Okay. Some of these things have to be hit certain ways._ The thought of trying to hit that one bone with direct bomb throws made Link grimace, even considering Navi. _Hm. I've been practicing my magic, and I've seen Doc Bandam perform alchemy. I wonder..._ The Hero summoned a bomb and an arrow at the exact same time, infusing the mixture with mana.

What he got was a hissing bomb preparing to explode with a stick jutting out from one side. The fletching was sizzling faintly as well. "Link, stop messing around!" Navi blurted in fear.

"Whoa!" Link grabbed the bizarre device by the shaft and threw it at Stallord, which did no good as a weapon, but at least kept the bomb from going off literally in his face. "Light and Time." He pressed his lips together, expression flattening in frustration. #I've only got one idea left, Navi. You're not going to like it. Spot me on that weak bone.# Navi nodded and obeyed.

Link summoned his Hookshot. Navi, unsurprisingly, was as unhappy as he'd suspected, sending several images of him being mangled between Stallord's teeth. _Maybe, but if I'm right...got you!_ He felt that little spot grow in the back of his mind the moment he aimed at the base of the monster's neck, right behind the skull plate. He let fly, and quickly landed on the thing's back. _Hover Boots are finally working right, at least,_ the Hero thought in relief when he didn't slide right off its back. Running down the spine desperately, barely avoiding being thrown off by its stomping, he reached the vulnerable vertebra and pulled the Megaton Hammer. #You're not serious!# Navi blurted in horror.

#If you have a better idea,# Link replied grimly, gritting his teeth, #I'm listening.# He brought the Hammer down on the bone. Again. Again. It cracked repeatedly and deeply, much to Link's satisfaction.

Stallord screamed, sounding like a huge ReDead (without the paralyzing effects, thank Din), and bucked hard. Link went flying, but tucked and rolled to land without real damage. He turned to look the battle over. Stallord's thrashing had cracked his spine worse than even Link's blows, but the others were having virtually no effect. Sheik looked like a blue line traced across the far wall, but while her speed kept her safe, it didn't seem to help her offense.

Then Nabooru stopped at one spot on the wall and grinned with vicious triumph. She said something Link didn't understand, her voice echoing much as Ruto's had two years ago, and Stallord froze. Strangely enough, it was glowing bright orange. "Now, Link!" the Spirit Sage shouted.

Again, Link used the Hookshot, but this time, with the creature paralyzed, he was able to target the very vertebra he was trying to destroy and fly over to it. The Hero hammered the bone until his arms grew sore. When he paused to breathe he saw the orange glow fading, but the cracks had become wide and deep. This time, he simply placed a bomb on its spine and leaped away.

The glow vanished just as the bomb went off, and the thing cracked in two like a spent Deku Stick. Its back half fell apart, and the front, dragged down by its trailing spine, sank into the sand, clawing mindlessly in an effort to reach the heroes until all that remained, once again, was the top of its skull. At last, the room was still once more.

"Would anyone care to remind me," Sheik said, a crackle of annoyance in her voice, "what we are doing here, aside from adding to the Hero's worries?"

"I cannot imagine you would wish the Hero to fight four of those Shadow knights alone," Impa pointed out evenly. Sheik looked away.

Link sat down heavily and took long, grateful gulps of air. "What she said." He watched the monster's remains carefully. Nothing happened. "Uh-oh."

"What?" Telma asked cheerfully, jogging up to the Hero. "We just won."

Link shook his head. "No life energy. No gateway. No Medallion. No Arbiter. We're not done."

Instantly, the entire floor dropped away. Link barely had time to scream before they all fell into blackness.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

Nabooru groaned, realized she was awake, and mentally examined herself. _Huh. No broken bones. No internal bleeding. Nothing dislocated or torn. Some bruising, but Din's done enough for us as it is._ Warily, she opened her eyes.

The Spirit Sage was in a huge circular room lit with a dozen evenly-spaced torches. She rolled up into a careful crouch, concealing herself in the flickering shadows. There was an empty arsenal rack on the far end, but the only other prominent features were three altars, one with an engraving of the Master Sword, one with the Phoenix of Hyrule painted in the center, and one with the symbol of the Spirit Medallion carved into each corner. Nabooru shivered in spite of the heat. _Sacrificial altars._

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." Kotake called in that sickeningly sweet voice. _She sounds like a bad parody of Zelda,_ Nabooru thought derisively.

"Great Mandrag, Kotake, just leave so I can bathe the place in flame," Koume said bluntly. Nabooru perked up slightly in surprise. _Farore. She actually sounded a little like a Gerudo._

"Now now, dear sister, we mustn't be rash," Kotake replied with glee. "We want some of them alive. The Shadow Sage is a particularly piquant bonus." Nabooru winced and looked down at her hands. She'd made fists so tight that she'd drawn blood. _Impa,_ she thought desperately, then forced herself to remain calm. _If there's one person on Hyrule who can protect herself, it's the Sage of Shadow._

Koume grimaced. "Bonus? Are you mad? If she learns what we've done..." the redheaded witch floated higher into the air, riding her broom like a sandboard, standing on it to get a better vantage over the area. "Sear their bones! I cannot see a single one of them!"

"Three Gerudos, two Sheikahs, and the Hero?" Kotake said dismissively. "If Impa hasn't trained that infuriating male brat in the art of stealth, then I'm Volvagia." The mistress of ice gestured into the air, and three shimmering discs of her element formed, floating above the room.

A hand clamped firmly over Nabooru's mouth. Shoving down a brief bout of panic, Nabooru touched the hand and felt the plating on it. _Impa,_ she confirmed, exhaling silently through her nose. _Din, Nayru and Farore, woman, are you trying to shorten my life span?_

Impa leaned forward. #Stop whining, Little Sister.# She released Nabooru. #Do you know what they're talking about?#

The Spirit Sage glanced over at her colleague. #Which part...oh.# Sadness filled Nabooru. _What the Gerudo have endured is terrible, but compared to the Sheikah..._ She skulked forward expertly, Impa easily keeping pace. #I fear not, Shadow Sage,# she replied formally. #I do know they used...your son...for some ritual purpose, but I honestly don't know if even Ganondorf could tell you what it was.#

#I suspected as much,# Impa replied evenly. _You can't fool me, Elder Sister,_ Nabooru thought, _not after all these years._ The Shadow Sage's expression and mind were both as unyielding as steel, but the grief in Impa's eyes told another story. #In the end, I suppose it does not matter. What's done is done. There are some things even Heroes and Sages of Time cannot erase.#

Nabooru knew better than to comment, so she just nodded. #What now?#

#We evade the ice mirrors, find the Hero, and kill Twinrova,# Impa said simply. The pair moved in unison, avoiding the reflected light from above.

Nabooru permitted herself a small grin. _Kotake must be slipping if..._ The grin vanished. #Impa, it cannot be that easy-#

As one, the Sages screamed. Pain shot through Nabooru's entire body. Her arms and legs shot out as she flew up, hips and shoulders howling in agonized protest while she was pressed back to back against Impa. They made a bizarre X in the air. Kotake floated over, stopping in front of the Spirit Sage and taking Nabooru's chin gently in her hand. "Oh yes, now this is much better. My counterpart's memories seemed too good to be true, but having you here, like this..." Her exquisite maiden's face grew a terrible smile, one promising endless torment. "Oh yes, my sweet little morsel, I am truly going to enjoy this." Her hand darted to Nabooru's throat, and the Spirit Sage felt frost form on her skin. Kotake squeezed with precise, irresistible force, leaving the Gerudo Chief just barely able to breathe. Each icy gulp was just that tiny edge more painful than the last, razors seeming to grow along the inside of her throat.

"Leave...her alone...you monster," Impa gasped.

#Impa, no!# Nabooru 'pathed. A wall that seemed the size of the moon fell between their minds, Kotake's leering face carved on it in profile. She tried to swear at her captor, but even Gerudo resolve would not force her body to indulge in the agony that would result.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten you, little Sheikah," Kotake snarled, all pretense of gentility gone. Air churned as she shot in front of the Shadow Sage. "You have interfered in our business for the last time, sow. I would have thought losing your people and your precious son would be enough, but apparently you are simply a glutton for punishment."

"Do your worst," Impa shot back. "You cannot possibly hurt me more than you already have."

The smile on the profile in Nabooru's mind grew more sadistic, if that was at all possible. Even Koume, watching from below with her arms crossed, seemed faintly disturbed by the proceedings. "Impa, Impa, Impa. I thought you knew me better than that." The Spirit Sage felt Kotake lean towards her fellow captive. "Or perhaps you thought I didn't know you so well? Hero!"

"Do nothing this witch says - GNM!" Nabooru felt as much as heard Impa's mouth slam shut, the ripple of mind over matter echoing to her Sage-born senses. Somehow, the last Sheikah managed to struggle in their invisible bonds.

"Hero, I know you're down there," Kotake continued, floating to the center of the room. Nabooru could see her once more, and the sorceress' look was pure calculation. Whatever misgivings Koume might have had were gone; she cackled - a truly odd sound coming from her now-rich voice - and flew up to her sister's side. "You will surrender, or you will watch as we shatter the mind of the traitor Nabooru. Then I shall teach the Shadow Sage that even she can still feel physical pain, pain beyond her vaunted Sheikah's ability to endure." She looked across the room. "Incidentally, only your status as Hero prevents me from finding you. Rest assured that I can find your remaining friends as easily as I did these two. Perhaps I shall shatter the sow's apprentice while she watches, unable even to scream, before I break her body." Kotake licked her lips hungrily. "A fine appetizer, don't you think?"

"You'll set them free first," Link shouted back. Nabooru heard him roll even as the witches looked in the direction of the sound. Koume swore voluminously and vehemently.

"Why should I?" Kotake laughed. Then she gasped as a Light Arrow flew through the end of her sleeve. Again the Hero moved.

"That, and I'm the one of us who's word can be trusted," Link replied fiercely. _Please, no,_ Nabooru thought desperately, _Din, Nayru and Farore, Link, don't do it!_

Kotake glanced in the direction of the sound, eyes narrow. "Hmf." Then she placed her hand over her chest. "I swear, on the Strength of Din, the Knowledge of Nayru, and the Courage of Farore, if you surrender now, I will release these two Sages, unharmed, on the morrow." A peal of resonance rippled across the mana. Koume looked at her sister in amazement. Nabooru didn't blame her. _Farore. Even Kotake wouldn't dare violate that oath, would she?_

There was brief silence. "You'll release them somewhere safe, in the kingdom of Hyrule, and not attempt to...retrieve them...for at least three days. You'll also let the others go, with the same conditions."

Kotake snorted. "We will defend ourselves," she insisted curtly. "Otherwise, I so swear, on the Oath." Again, mana rippled. Link stood.

"In that case, I surrender." The Hero threw down his sword and shield, dropping the fairy pouch by its side. Nabooru's heart broke.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

_Link, what are you doing?_ Sheik thought wildly, watching the Hero stride forward. _I love them too, but if they have the Hero, we're lost!_ The shadow warrior licked her lips, thinking desperately. Freeing Nabooru and Impa was impossible in her current form, and Zelda didn't dare confront Kotake. _Sheik can, but not alone._

"Excellent!" Kotake floated down, her icy powers forming in her upheld hand. "Take off your shirt." Link raised an eyebrow at her, then obeyed, removing his hat as well. Mercifully, there was no sign of Navi. "Good boy," she said, looking him over. A flicker of admiration passed across her face. Sheik gritted her teeth almost painfully. Then Kotake released her power on him, freezing him up to his neck. Link grunted, then hissed in pain, but did not scream. "Oh, very nice. Hold out as long as you can, please. I want to enjoy this."

"Yes," Koume chimed in, "we've seen what you did to us last time." That strange indecision the fire mistress seemed to have had was gone, and she stared at the Hero balefully. "You'll find us more of a challenge without the accursed Master Sword!" Koume gestured savagely, and Link's entire arsenal appeared in the alcove Sheik had spotted earlier. Her heart sank. _Nayru help me. I was right._ Every device and wonder had a hook or shelf that it fitted perfectly. The Ocarina, in particular, materialized in a solid glass oval that protruded into its holes.

Link stared back impassively, saying nothing. Koume glared at him more fiercely, but Kotake looked up at Nabooru and smiled more sweetly than ever. The ice mage gestured, and Impa swung around beside Nabooru to face the dark vista below them. Tears formed in the Shadow Sage's eyes. Her entire body shuddered with effort. "Tell me, Sheikah," Kotake whispered, "will this be like losing a son again?" Impa thrashed outright at that.

"This is my job, Sages," Link replied through chattering teeth. "When you get out of here, find hh - HNNG!" His retort stopped when Kotake formed a gag out of ice, the sorceress forcing his head back until it almost touched the block he was frozen in, then attached the bit to the rest of his prison.

"That's enough out of you for now," Kotake said lightly. She stroked his forehead, and the Hero could only tremble in outrage. "One last touch, I think, then I'll let you consider your plight for a time." Her fingers brushed down to just above his eyes. Tears formed in them, Sheik sensing evil sorcery at that moment. The tears froze around the edges of his eyelids, not quite touching the eyes themselves but locking them open. "You'll be forced to cry more as the air brushes against your eyes," Kotake explained, her tone lecturing, "and those tears will slowly freeze as well." She leaned up to him, noses almost touching. "Fear not, however, that this will blind you forever. A sightless warrior will do Great Ganondorf no good..." her smile vanished, and her sickly sweet voice became as cold as her soul. "...and we mean you to be his right hand, Hero of Time!" They both laughed at that, riding their brooms up and circling like vultures.

Sheik had spent the entire time listening to that nightmare trying to come up with a rescue that didn't end with a dead Sage or shattered Hero. _Triforce of Wisdom, ha,_ she thought dismally. _How in Nayru's name did any version of me ever end up with-_

#Hey!# Navi 'pathed.

Sheik's heart leaped back into her chest. #Navi! Thank the gods! How is he?# Sheik felt Navi slide carefully up her back and under her head wrappings. She tried not to think about what it must have been like for the tiny glowing fairy to slide along the walls and floor of this place to go unnoticed.

#Please don't ask,# Navi said, shivering, #but he's managing. What are we going to do?#

#Telma and Ilia are stuck in one of the corridors leading from this room,# Sheik replied tersely. #They 'found' one of the secret exits. I _was_ going to lead the Hero to them so we could mount a rescue. That plan is, as you might imagine, obsolete.#

Navi pulsed, the mana from Link's companion resonating with and soothing her own. _Gods be good. Is this how Link feels all the time?_ she guessed. _No wonder he's so protective of her._ Sheik's mind settled somewhat, but no ideas came to her even then. Suddenly, Navi's thoughts flowed into her mind once more. #What about Zelda?#

#Zelda!# Sheik avoided snorting audibly, but the effect echoed through their connection. #She's no match for them!#

#Maybe,# Navi 'pathed, showing more confidence in the princess' powers than Sheik had, #but surely she could handle one of them! Zelda's one of the most powerful wizards in the world!#

#Link's very kind,# Sheik thought back, smiling indulgently, #but I doubt...# Her eyes flickered back to the pair, smile fading into thoughtful stare. _Their magics are elemental. Each is vulnerable to the other's element. Maybe...just maybe..._ #Navi, I'm going to bring you to the corridor where the Gerudo are. Tell them to be ready for Koume. Ilia has Ice Arrows, she'll know what to do. Can you help them?#

#Not as well as I can with Link, but you bet!# Navi replied excitedly.

Sheik nodded. #Good. I'm going to distract Koume. I doubt they've bothered looking for me yet.# Her smile returned with a semblance of hope and confidence to it. #Telma and Ilia don't need to beat her, just keep her busy for a little while. If our plan works, that's all we'll need. If not...# Sheik's blood ran cold at that thought. For the first time, she hoped that Link didn't return Zelda's feelings for him. #...it won't matter anyway.#

#Don't worry about us!# Navi 'pathed while Sheik slid to the secret door she sought. #We'll be fine. Just be careful with Kotake!# Cupping her hand over her head, Sheik brought Navi to a crack in the wall, air trickling from the corridor. Navi flew in and away.

_Alone, now,_ Sheik thought, trying to calm herself. _All or nothing. Time to prove I've been worth it to the Hero, having to drag me around all this time._ She concentrated.

A burst of shadow and smoke exploded next to Koume, and Sheik's foot struck her jaw. Hard. "You'll not find the Sheikah so soft-hearted, witch," she said coldly, hating herself for it when Link shuddered. Another explosion, and the figure was gone.

"What - ow - HOW DARE YOU?" Koume roared. She flew towards the identical cloud which appeared in front of the secret door. There, the twins saw Sheik, back pressed against the wall, manipulate one stone with her hand. The door opened, and Koume glared at the figure tumbling away from her.

"Oh, go on, Koume," Kotake scoffed. "This fool of a Hero isn't going anywhere, and maybe the Sheikah's pathetic apprentice will enjoy his suffering as well." Link snarled into his icy gag while Koume laughed triumphantly. The fire witch shot through the door, which closed with finality behind her. "Did you think you were friends, perhaps?" Kotake asked mildly, leaning on the ice in an almost friendly manner and regarding Link with a parody of sympathy. "Even I would not wish such a delusion on a Hylian. Trust me. Sheikah have no friends but their own foul kind. All others are tools to be used and discarded when they're used up."

"You'd know such ways well, wouldn't you, fiend?" Zelda roared, appearing in a burst of emerald light almost on top of the sorceress. "DIN'S FIRE!"

Kotake's eyes bulged, flying backwards and parrying the jet of flames with her beam of ice. "ZELDA?" she screamed. "Impossible!" When the witch stopped the flames a yard away from her body, she exhaled in relief, then glared at the princess in frustration. "Sheik. _You're_ Sheik. Mandrag's Maw. How did we not know..." Link sighed with guilt, almost whimpering.

"You'll not live," Zelda snarled, "to reveal my secret." Concentrating, she poured all her power into the fires, trying desperately to press past Kotake's defense.

Kotake's fear was fading rapidly. "Your little Sheikah illusion won't fool my sister for long," she chuckled, "and those two idiots will delay her even less."

"Long enough," Zelda spat back, shaking in fury. "You'll pay for all you've done to those I love!"

"Love?" Kotake laughed outright at that. "A greater and grander illusion than anything Sheikah magic can conjure." She snorted. "Unless, of course, the whole thing is a Sheikah deception in the first place." Kotake let herself drop to the ground, the fall of a single inch, and took a step back. "Your 'Hero' is your brainwashed slave, chained to your will by the gods. Everyone else is either out for themselves or deluded." The sorceress leered at Zelda then. "And if you don't incinerate the boy yourself, all I will do to him is transfer his leash from you to Ganondorf."

"I could almost feel sorry for you," Zelda hissed, concentration flowing into every mote of fire, "but you've done too much in your hate and greed."

"As if that matters!" Kotake pushed her hands forward, and the beam of ice pressed forward into Zelda's flame jet. "Even imprisoning those two Sages with my mind, I am your superior! You will fall, and I will break you piece by piece until the Hero _begs_ me to let him serve the Great Ganondorf!"

"Not likely," Link snarled. Kotake's triumphant expression vanished instantly, replaced by a look of terror. Zelda exulted as he rolled into the arsenal.

"H-How - that's not - how can he even move?" Kotake whimpered. "After the agony I put him through..." She trailed into silence, perhaps realizing that it might not be best to describe her tortures in detail to the Princess of Destiny.

"He's the Hero," Zelda replied sweetly. "As for the rest, you were only advancing against me because the burst of our clashing powers hid my arcs of heat boring into his prison."

"He'll not help you!" the witch wailed, throwing more of her power into their odd duel. "Even if he can move, he's far too weak to gather up his toys in time! As for the rest, I still have Nabooru and Impa!"

"So you do," Zelda said, her voice low and near-feral. Her mind flickered. Kotake gasped, then her head snapped back as if struck. The Sages' bodies relaxed and floated quickly to the ground. "Now. If what my Hero tells me is correct, the proper phrase at this point is 'yield or die.' What say you?"

"You - you'd let me live?" Kotake gasped.

"That would be for a court to decide." Zelda focused her flames and pressed them forward. Kotake retreated again. _I...I really am more powerful than her. I'm going to win!_ She advanced herself. "Well?"

"We - we have..." Kotake began.

Suddenly, an explosion of flame rocked the room, and Koume emerged from the passage. "Get away from my sister, Hylian!" the fire witch roared. Kotake exhaled, shaking in what had to be relief, as the crimson twin flew at Zelda. _Uh-oh._ Options raced through Zelda's mind. The situation suddenly looked far grimmer. Telma and Ilia were clearly no longer relevant to the battle, and none of the others could possibly be in any shape to help. She braced herself to endure Koume's fire, hoping against hope that she could maintain an ice shield while continuing her assault on Kotake.

There was an streak of forest green, and suddenly Link was there, standing on an altar between Koume and Zelda. Navi appeared over the witch's head as a bright yellow ball. He held up the Mirror Shield, and while Koume's own flames could hardly harm her, she was briefly blinded by the reflected attack. The Hero added a Deku Nut to the counterattack, then fired Ice Arrows at her with amazing disregard for his mana reserves. "I'll hold her, Zel! Get Kotake!"

_My Hero,_ she thought with a grin. "So, Kotake, about that surrender?" Impa appeared at the princess' side in a swirl of shadow, even the great Sheikah warrior trembling after her ordeal but holding her _nodachi_ ready before her.

Kotake vanished in a swirl of green and white light. A burst of flame hit her before the spell was complete, and she howled in pain, but then she was gone. Koume gaped in disbelief. "Kotake?" the fire mage whispered.

Zelda whirled on the remaining Twinrova sorceress and released a blast of cold and shadow. Koume shuddered, her fires hardly slowing it, then fell to earth in front of Link. She landed with a bone-cracking thud and wheezed painfully. Link pointed his sword at the sorceress, eyes as cold as his prison had been. Nabooru strode to behind Koume's head, hands on her sword hilts. "Please, try something," the Spirit Sage said harshly.

"You have her?" Link asked, Navi buzzing over Koume's head like an angry hornet. Impa stalked over to Nabooru's side, fingering her blade.

"Yes. Go," Zelda said, immediately realizing what Link intended. He proved her right instantly, running to the shattered section of wall Koume had come from. Navi flew back to his side. Zelda stared coldly at their prisoner. "Do I have any reason to let you live?"

Koume glared back, eyes blazing. "No." She began to glow a brilliant crimson.

"Farore!" Nabooru swore, a hint of admiration in her voice. "She's going to Final Strike!"

Zelda's eyes widened. "Scatter!" Throwing as much ice as she could at their erstwhile captive, she literally flew back and away. Impa sank into a shadow, trying to grab Nabooru, but the Spirit Sage had already bolted, fleeing to the far altar and ducking. "Nayru's Love!"

The explosion rocked the chamber, and Zelda felt like her entire body had been battered, but the protective magic quickly banished the pain as illusory; she was, of course, unharmed. The comforting crystal blue field shimmered around her. "Nabooru?" she called. "Nabooru!"

"Din, girl, why are you whispering?" Nabooru shouted, standing and rubbing her ears. "Farore, I didn't think she had it in her. At least she died like a Gerudo."

"Small comfort," Link snarled, carrying Ilia into the room. Telma staggered after him, wavering until Nabooru helped her sit on the sole intact altar. Zelda gasped. The older Gerudo looked like she'd walked through a bonfire. Most of her clothes were gone, and she had no hair left. Still, the burns looked a lot less serious than they had any right to. She'd clearly recover.

Ilia was another story. She was groaning in agony, both arms limp, and her left leg ended halfway down her thigh, cauterized. _Nayru have mercy,_ Zelda thought with horror. Link laid Ilia gently on the altar next to Telma. _No healing magic will help that. If we don't do something about the shock, though..._ Ilia was strong. She was fighting. Zelda didn't know, however, if it was enough. "Link, tell me you still have a potion left."

"I had two. I gave them each one already." He looked at Zelda with such helpless grief that she felt her heart breaking worse than before. "Zelda, I don't know what to do..."

Resolve filled her all at once. "I do." She strode over to Ilia, placing her hand gently on the young heroine's forehead. "She shouldn't be dying, but the shock is severe." The Sage of Time looked up at Nabooru. "Are Gerudo more vulnerable to this sort of injury?"

"Not physically," Nabooru said angrily, "but some - too many - of my people think that being crippled is worse than death." She darted to Ilia, gripping her shoulders with fierce worry. "You hear me, you idiot girl? You think you can't ride a horse or fire a shot or cast a spell like this? Live, sear you!"

_Poor choice of words,_ Zelda thought, but said nothing. She'd feared as much. _I'll have to go deep for this one._ Mana flowed from her into the Gerudo, stabilizing her life energy. Something rippled in grief within Ilia. It all but asked Zelda to let her die. Zelda frowned faintly. _Only one response to that._ She let the mana ripple out from her, encompassing the others. Zelda could feel their desperation, their determination to help Ilia, their fear for her. That meant Ilia did too.

#Din,# Ilia swore in the depths of her mind.

"Gods be good," Link breathed. Ilia breathed too, her body's shudders fading and heartbeat steadying. "You did it."

Zelda smiled at him winningly. "Did you doubt me?"

Link took her hand in his. It was pale and cold, but it still sent a shock through the princess. "Never," he whispered.

An orange glow appeared next to the arsenal alcove. The Spirit Medallion appeared and vanished above them, all but unnoticed by everyone except Nabooru and Zelda. Even the Sage of Time only afforded the wonder a brief thought, praying that it helped her cross-world 'sister.' Meanwhile, Link released her hand and snarled; the Arbiter appeared from the glow as he always did. "You have done well. The last Medallion is yours," the enigmatic figure said.

"Then why hasn't the Light Medallion appeared around the Temple?" Link demanded. "What did beating Koume have to do with any of this? Din take you, we've paid in blood this time! Who are you?"

"There is far more blood yet to be paid, Hero of Time," the Arbiter replied. It was the weather again, or the latest legal debate. His voice was as empty as the wastes. "The Grounds are no longer in Ganondorf's control, nor will he claim it again unless he triumphs over both you and Princess Zelda. You should accept what you have won today. Even the Hero cannot be everywhere or save everyone, nor could you even when the Master Sword could replicate you to protect the four corners of Hyrule."

"Don't you try to - what?" Link blurted. The Arbiter was already sinking. "Wait! Replicate - me? What in Farore's name are you talking about?"

"You are the Hero," the Arbiter replied simply. "Though Ganondorf is the greatest challenge you have ever faced, did you think you were never needed before?" With that, he was gone.

Link fell to his knees, looking at his hands. "I...I can't...it's...too much..." he looked up at Zelda, the helplessness more torturous than ever. "Zelda...you could have been..."

#Don't you dare,# Zelda 'pathed to Impa with a growl.

#So you sensed me moving,# Impa replied fondly. #You did well. As for the Hero,# she continued, as if there had been no threat at all, #I think he understands the gravity of his actions.#

#What else was he supposed to do?# she whispered back, hating herself for it, hating Kotake for what she'd done to her friends, hating Ganondorf for all the misery he caused. Hating herself all the more for letting herself indulge in hate at all. #Impa, I wish I could keep him away from these terrible battles, let him explore, teach him to dance at court...but he's the Hero. You said it yourself - he can't stop helping people any more than he can stop breathing.# The entire conversation sped through her mind as she kneeled next to the Hero. "Link, I owe you their lives. You went through an unspeakable horror because it was the best you could do." She smiled at him and stroked his cheek. "Farore, if I can't save _you_ now and then, what have I been doing following you around all these years?"

Link exhaled and nodded. "I know. It's just...they know, now."

Zelda frowned and nodded. "I suppose it doesn't matter. This was the last Temple. Once we leave...then it truly begins." She smiled again and stood, taking his hands and guiding him to his feet as well. "For now, though, we've won a major victory. We've paid for it..." she looked at Ilia, who was now cradled in Telma's powerful arms, "...some more than others...but Koume's dead and Ganondorf's lost the Temple. That's what matters." She gestured to the gateway. "Let's get out of here."

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"Dead." Ganondorf glared at Kotake. The ice witch nodded impassively. "Koume...is...dead."

"I believe I said that, yes," Kotake replied tonelessly.

Ganondorf didn't throw her across the room or cast fire at her or snap her neck like the dry twig it had been. It was a near thing. "You just left her there to die. Your own sister."

"I thought she would teleport away, as I did." Kotake met his darkly burning gaze with an empty one of her own. "Instead, she chose to sacrifice herself. At least it worked; the Flame of Despair has lit. Mandrag's power shall soon be yours, Heir...as shall the Power that is your destiny."

Ganondorf growled and paced. _Koume. Her, at least, I could half-trust. Kotake I can trust not at all._ He glared at the witch with a coldness to match her nature. The King of Evil could almost believe that her sister's death had affected her, with the hollow echo in her voice and her eyes. Almost. _You taught me too well, sorceress. 'To care is to be weak.' You cannot care; you froze your own soul long before you taught me to empty mine._ Besides, she was correct. Kotake always was, of course. The Dark Flames of Sorrow and Destruction had long burned; now, with the final Flame alight, he could bring Mandrag into the world, but under his command. There was only one requirement left. "Will the boy draw the Master Sword again? He will be wary, this time."

"He will have little choice," Kotake replied dully. "Without it, he cannot defeat the evil you control even now. With it, he will have a chance, however slim."

Ganondorf nodded, returned to his throne, and waved Kotake away dismissively. She bowed and left without another word. _At last. It comes._ He opened and closed his right hand slowly, deliberately. It itched for a blade. _One more year. One more, and he will be ready. One more, and at last I can prove that I am the world's destiny. Me, not some orphaned Hylian brat or that pathetic excuse for a princess._ He stood and paced again, hand opening and closing. _I will lead the Gerudo to greatness. I will crush the Hylians under my heel. The last Sheikah's blood will adorn my blade. The Gorons will bow, and the Zoras will grovel. All will at last be mine. MINE!_


	12. Final Interlude: Winter, Sixteen

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Final Interlude: Winter, Sixteen**

He'd always loved the winter, before.

Memories of snowball fights and tales around the hearth flickered through his mind. Songs, hot drinks of chocolate and cinnamon, and games, simple child's games, these things had been his for a little while. Certainly, he'd had to face the occasional squad of Stalfos or brigand gang, but even Ganondorf seemed to avoid causing overmuch devilry during the season of Nayru, the season of peace.

Now, Link felt only the cold. Each report was more dire than the last: ReDead had been spotted in the south, Wolfos ran rampant on the edges of the forest, a small army of Skulltulas had barely been repelled near the Altean border. _I'm just glad for this brief respite._ Tomorrow, he would leave for the woods. Link had long experience in dealing with Wolfos, even before he'd been caught by destiny.

The Hero leaned heavily on the tower's balustrade and watched the people of Castle Town go about their lives. The town had sounded little different to Marth during his last visit, when he'd been here planning military strategy with Zelda and Onox. Marth didn't know Castle Town as Link did. _They're afraid. Worse, they have every right to be._ Everywhere Link went, people were trying to live their lives normally, whether in denial or defiance, but no one could ignore it any longer. Ganondorf was coming. Everyone expected that he would march with the thaw. _Almost everyone._

Familiar footsteps echoed behind him, and he turned to watch Hyrule's greatest source of warmth walk up the stairs behind him, talking with Mistress Agitha about the food stores. "...enough oranges, then?" Zelda asked. "I've heard enough sailor's tales of this thing called scurvy-"

"I assure you," Agitha replied with a faintly amused air, "the stasis stores are bursting with reserves, particularly fruits and nuts." Link forced himself not to chuckle. "I imagine we could manage a siege for years, so long as the walls held, but I leave that to our military experts - and the Hero, of course," she said suddenly, and Link realized with chagrin that he'd been spotted. The elderly Chronicler giggled much like Zelda had at ten, then curtsied to him. _Farore. I'll never get used to that._ He bowed in kind, though, making as good a leg as he could.

"Oh. Link." For some inexplicable reason, Zelda straightened her hair, then brushed her dress smooth with her hands. _Today's Council meeting must have been particularly wonderful,_ he thought sarcastically. "Are you...are you well?"

"As well as can be expected, Your Highness," Link replied evenly, nodding a bow.

"Well. A good Chronicler knows when she's needed." Agitha smiled, her amusement growing, and curtsied to the princess. "Your Highness."

"Mistress Agitha," Zelda replied, bowing in turn. "As always, your insight and wisdom are invaluable to Hyrule." Agitha slid away, and they were alone. Link swallowed. For some reason, he felt cornered. Zelda turned to him and smiled, but there was a distant pain in her eyes. That pain was like a dagger through his heart. "I haven't seen much of you recently, Hero," she said lightly, her voice strained just a hair. "You keep this up, and I'm going to start feeling neglected."

Link turned back to the balcony and leaned on the railing once more. He couldn't look into her eyes again, not yet. "It's my job, Zel. Ganondorf's everywhere, and there's just one of me." He chuckled wryly. "This time, anyway, if the Arbiter can be believed." Link shrugged. "Sometimes I don't feel like I should even be in the palace."

"That's absurd," Zelda retorted. Link suppressed a chuckle as he sensed her putting her fists on her hips. _Of course, any sane man would be scared right now..._ That almost did make Link chuckle. _...and if I were sane, would I be trying to fight off the King of Evil practically single-handed?_ He turned his head slightly as she continued. "I understand why you've turned down knighthood...sear Veran's scheming and the knights' jealousy anyway...but we can at least provide you with safe haven."

"Yeah, my poor old treehouse _is_ getting a little cramped," he replied with a chuckle. "Bess has gotten pretty big." He looked down and chuckled more loudly and ruefully. "So have I, come to think of it."

"Not to mention all those trophies and gifts," Zelda added pointedly. She'd gone from fists on hips to crossed arms. _Okay, now I'm in trouble._ "So, are you going to tell me what's really bothering you, or do I use 'the eyes?'"

Link shivered. "I think I know what he's waiting for," he whispered. Zelda gestured for him to continue. "The Master Sword."

"Farore," Zelda swore gently. "I was hoping you wouldn't figure it out."

_You - what?_ Link whirled on her, eyes blazing. "You were _hoping_ I wouldn't."

Zelda flushed, but stood her ground, matching his gaze. "Why not? You have to draw the Sword, it's the only way. There's no point in you eating away at yourself any more than you already do." Her expression softened, and she placed a hand on his arm. The Hero's entire body felt electrified. _Farore._ He wanted to escape. He wanted to take her hand in his. He didn't want to stop with her hand. _Farore! What am I thinking?_ She gazed up at him, her eyes consuming him more than ever. "Why, Link? What happened to you?"

_I finally grew up,_ he thought sadly. Navi sent some very uncomplimentary retorts. He ignored them. "Zelda, you've become what you were always meant to be," he said, a touch of pride and relief driving back the cold fire in his soul. He gently caressed her shoulder. "Sheik is something you do, now. Zelda is who you are." He stepped back and glanced away. "Now it's my turn."

Zelda scoffed openly at that. "Oh? And who are you that you haven't been, all this time? What can you possibly do that would be more than what you've already done?"

"You..." It came out a growl, and Zelda's eyes widened. She took a step back. It broke his heart. _Maybe it's for the best._ "You think the Hero can't want something for himself? You think I don't hate being an animal sometimes?"

"Animal!" Zelda's shock was gone, and she stepped towards him again. "That's insane!"

Link turned on her fully again. _See my eyes,_ he thought, and drew forth all the ferocity inside him. Zelda froze. "That is who I am. Farore's beast. I'm done fighting it, Zelda. There were times I've dreamed of being accepted, of knighthood, of..." He shook his head and whirled away. _Dangerous ground._ "Din burn me. Childhood fantasies, all of it. I am what I have to be. Yes, I have to draw that gods-accursed sword." Zelda gasped. "Once that happens, it'll be nothing but blood and death. The battle doesn't bother me - I don't think it ever has, even in the beginning - but that's all I have left now."

Her hands grabbed his tunic from behind. Even knowing her power, Link was amazed at the strength of her grip. She leaned against him. "It doesn't have to be like that. It doesn't," she whispered.

"Yes it does. The Spirit Temple taught me that." Zelda clutched at him more tightly. "One thing the Arbiter said was right - I can't save everyone. I can't be everywhere. Gods, without the Sword, I can't even protect my friends..." He shook his head. "With it, though, I can put an end to Ganondorf. I can stop it all."

"And _then,"_ Zelda said fiercely, "you can rest." Link laughed at that, his voice hollow. "You can and you will!" she insisted, releasing his tunic and coming around in a whirl to face him. "Link..." she stroked his cheek so gently he almost thought they hadn't touched. She smiled, and that dagger in his heart twisted. "...please, just be patient a little longer. I'll make it all right in the end. I promise."

Somehow, that dagger didn't stop his heart from pounding like ocean waves. She'd had to press herself against the balustrade to face him, leaning back, so vulnerable...the Hero stepped back slowly, then shuddered in relief when she moved with him. _Dangerous ground, indeed._ That shudder hadn't merely been relief. "I will always be here for you, Your Highness." She winced at that, and he bowed and strode away before she could react otherwise.

#Did you have to do that?# Navi 'pathed quietly while he walked briskly down the stairs.

#I'm not exactly proud of it, Navi,# he replied, mental voice tight, #but there's no other way.#

Navi's mind vanished from his, radiating a mutinous silence. _It's just as well._ Link wasn't sure if he meant Navi or Zelda. He stopped and looked back up the staircase. Zelda had come inside, but was still looking out into Hyrule sadly. The Hero turned and kept walking before his emotions mastered him. _At least I can protect her better this way._ He passed a mirror, then recoiled for a moment when he thought he saw red eyes. _From anything that would threaten her._ Link looked away from the mirror, missing the blood-red eyes return just long enough to glare at him. Then both Hero and eyes were gone.


	13. Part 2, Ch 1: Prelude to War

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Part Two: Man**

**Chapter One: Prelude to War**

"'Sacred might, realm so bright, now the stars all come alight,'" Zelda chanted, sitting in a gently turning circle of sacred Hylian text inscribed in light. "'Hear my plea, flow through me, let this humble mage now see.'" Mana rushed into her like a tidal wave, and she had to look up, the power and insight making her weep from the wonder flowing through her.

Farore's Bow twinkled at the apex of the dome of night, and Zelda imagined that she could almost see the goddess Herself drawing it. Her eyes widened; a shooting star raced through the Bow as if shot from it. The image of the Hero replaced the imagined Farore in her mind, and the falling star touched three other constellations before it vanished.

Instantly, she knew. _Three days. He'll be seventeen in three days. Nayru, guide me._ The shimmering image of Link turned almost entirely black, a crimson eye piercing her hungrily, then it, too, disappeared. _Ill omen,_ she thought, shivering. She immediately dismissed the thought as nerves. _Surely it means Link's Shadow will come, but that was to be expected._ The thought gave her no comfort, but she rose all the same, pulling her cloak over her ritual robe and padding down the stairs, Senza and Zuko heeling her like particularly mismatched guard dogs. The observatory had served its purpose.

_His birthday comes in three days._ It had been an unpleasant dilemma. Link's trip through time left him unfamiliar with the calendar of the era he'd landed in, and the Sages' knowledge of the other world, never complete, had faded somewhat. All they'd known was that it was sometime between mid-spring to late summer, Farore's time fading into Din's. If the Hero drew the Master Sword too soon, Link would be trapped while Ganondorf was free to act; too late, and Ganondorf might act beforetime - or worse, claim the power he sought even without the Sword being drawn. Either result would be the end of them all.

It didn't matter now, though. Zelda knew. _What an awful birthday present,_ she thought sadly, but the princess pulled her resolve together. Link had made his decision - _Farore take him!_ Zelda swore - and she had her kingdom to protect. As did he.

_Nayru, Link, I didn't mean that,_ Zelda thought sadly. _Why didn't I say anything?_ She moved with a will through the castle, not letting her turmoil affect her purpose. _I will free you from this burden. I swear it,_ she thought for what felt the thousandth time since that awful winter confrontation. Zelda stopped in front of Impa's door. "You are dismissed," she said formally, then turned and smiled at the two odd knights. "Thank you both, but I've kept you from your families long enough this night."

Senza bowed gently and smiled. "Always an honor, Little Princess."

Zuko merely snorted. "Hardly a chore, Your Highness," the shorter knight replied, his bow curt though somehow not disrespectful. "Good eventide." They withdrew, an argument over the meteor's meaning already starting before they were out of earshot. Zelda smiled indulgently, then turned to knock.

Impa opened the door first. Zelda dropped her hand, opened her mouth, then lost what she'd been about to say entirely. The princess gasped. Her invincible mentor, guardian and surrogate mother looked as if she'd gone three days without sleep. The Sheikah's eyes were dull maroon points shrouded in black circles, and her entire body moved limply, without energy. "Your Highness," Impa said. _At least she sounds better than she looks._ The Shadow Sage waved Zelda in, then retreated into her room. "Please. I suspect your information is sensitive."

Zelda stepped in and willed the door closed with an absent flicker of thought. Impa's austere room had acquired some adornments since Zelda's last visit; aside from the mat that served as Impa's bed, the rug with the Sheikah eye, and the plain desk with its notes and writing supplies, the Shadow Sage also had what looked like a baby's blanket folded neatly next to the mat, and a pictograph of Link and Zelda laughing after shooting to a draw in the archery game. Zelda looked away from that, but watching Impa was worse. "What have you been doing, Impa?"

"Kotake has been busy," Impa replied evenly, shuffling papers at her desk. "So have I."

"I have come to accept the Hero's...situation," Zelda said coolly. "You should have informed me that _you_ were taking so active a role."

Impa glanced over her shoulder and chuckled. "So you could fret over me to no purpose? That was what you told Link regarding the Master Sword, was it not?" Zelda grimaced and looked away. _Of course Impa heard._ The Sheikah exhaled and sat in the desk's chair. "My child, you have matured beyond even my expectations. You are a marvel as a Sheikah, a paragon of wizards, and a royal heir any kingdom would envy." The princess blushed, joy welling inside her. "Yet you share a flaw with the Hero: you must accept that you cannot do everything yourself."

The wave of happiness faded. "Oh, so? You've delegated some of your errands, then." Zelda glowered at her mentor.

"Of course I have," Impa replied testily. "You know better than that. Nevertheless, Kotake has been tireless in her efforts to summon misery into Hyrule. I refuse to allow her passage. Until we know when the Hero's destiny comes due..." she looked up at the princess, relief clear on her face. _Gods be good. She is tired._ "It worked, didn't it? You know."

Zelda nodded. "Three days," she said quietly. "Too soon." She turned her implacable gaze on Impa once more. "Which means you, Shadow Sage," she said firmly, "are going to get a good night's sleep. A good day's as well, if I have anything to say about it."

"I'll not argue," Impa replied wearily. "I was nearing the point of having to decide whether the rest or the task was more important." She patted Zelda's hand, and the princess was faintly ashamed at how much relief that gave her. "As for the time, it will be enough. You will see. We are as ready as we can be, my child." She scratched out a note with blinding speed, then sent it with a gesture and a flicker of Shadow. Impa rose then, padding to her mat and spreading herself wearily across it.

The princess took the thin silk sheet rolled up at the end of the mat and draped it over her mentor. "What about the Hero?" she asked quietly, her voice all but failing her then.

Impa smiled gently. It was far too knowing for Zelda's taste. "What of him?"

"If I know Link," Zelda muttered, "and I can't say for certain I do anymore, but if I'm right, he's running himself ragged enough to make you look bright-eyed." She fussed over Impa's sheet.

"Even Link cannot help but be affected by his physical maturity this time, dear," Impa replied, voice as gentle as her expression, "but when it comes to his duty, you needn't worry. His power allows him to go many days without sleep, as he has been demonstrating to Ganondorf's forces of late."

"Tch!" Zelda stood, threw up her hands, and paced with a will. _"Physical_ maturity is right! And when is he going to realize he doesn't have to fight Ganondorf's army alone this time?"

The Sheikah leaned on one elbow. "I find it interesting," she noted, a touch of dryness in her voice, "that you separated those two observations as you did."

Zelda's pacing slowed, then finally stopped, and she sat down cross-legged next to Impa. "You're right. I'm being unfair." She looked away, biting her lower lip. "Not to mention foolish and self-centered. Link doesn't dare try...Farore!" The Princess of Destiny crossed her arms and exhaled explosively. "I just wish he would at least give _me_ some kind of idea what he's feeling!"

"Now who is being childish?" Impa said, gentle tone vanishing. "Link does not hint. He speaks, or he does not." Zelda looked at the floor in front of her, fingers playing softly on the stone. "You are being unfair with yourself as well." The Sheikah's faint, indulgent smile returned. "Zelda, you are not used to having irrational thoughts. Desire is not rational, but neither is it foolish or self-centered, so long as it is not indulged in overmuch." She shook her head. "Over-indulgence is not something either of you has much experience in, I fear."

"Desire." Zelda said the word tonelessly. "I hope there's more to what I feel than that."

"Farore," Impa swore, and Zelda's head snapped up, staring at her _sensei_ with wide eyes. "If you don't know better than that, girl, I don't know what I'm going to do with you. You two have always loved one another," she continued implacably, and Zelda bit her lip again, "but you were children. It was uncomplicated. Now you are essentially adults, especially given the burdens you've borne, and there is new depth to it." She sighed and let herself sink back into her mat. "You have chosen to wait this long, Zelda. Three days more should be manageable."

"That's what I thought as well," the princess replied quietly, tracing a triangle on the floor repeatedly. "Between all the work we have to do and those petty fools in court, I was sure that waiting would be best, but now I'm not as certain." Zelda sighed. "Now that I know how much time we have left before the end begins, every moment I wait is worse than the one before. Even discounting that irrationality you mentioned, even the Hero isn't invulnerable." She clenched her fists. "If I don't tell him, and he...and something happens..." Zelda's voice cracked. She stood quickly. "If I do tell him, though, and he doesn't...feel the same way...he does care, Impa, I know that much. If I tell him now of all times, I could get him killed."

Impa sighed. "My child, I cannot offer you certainty. His devotion to you is absolute, but he has become incredibly skilled at sealing his mind against contact when it suits him." She looked up, breath growing slow and steady. "What I can tell you is that you can have faith in him. No matter what else happens, I believe he is destined to face Ganondorf. He will not die before that."

"Thank you, _sensei,"_ Zelda replied with a bow, hands folded. "I have clearly occupied you too long. If you will excuse me." Impa scoffed at that, but the princess left quickly and quietly, closing the door and walking briskly to the runners' quarters.

Unsurprisingly, there was little activity among the castle messengers. Most of them were already in the field, and even their dedication could not sustain them all at ths unholy hour. She knocked.

Quill answered, to her pleasant surprise. A lean, swift man in his prime at nearly a century, with a shock of short white hair and a hawk-like nose, Quill was the pride of the runners. Indeed, he was already wearing his sashimono. "Your Highness," he said, controlling his surprise and volume, but it had been a near thing. "This is unusual. How may I serve you?"

"Quill. The gods favor us that I find you of all runners at this moment." Zelda smiled in relief, and the fabled messenger dropped to one knee, bowing his head deeply. The princess suppressed a childish giggle; she remembered many an apprentice attempting a more normal bow while wearing the sashimono. "Please, rise. I have a most urgent message for the Hero."

"Of course," Quill said seriously, standing almost instantly. "The time approaches?"

She nodded, entering and heading for the messenger's desk. Gesturing to activate the light charm, Zelda quickly wrote her letter. "Link is investigating what he and Impa believe to be one of Ganondorf's plots in Kakariko." Zelda looked at Quill gravely. "They fear it might be an assassination attempt. Be very careful." She regarded the banner Quill wore with concern. "Indeed, it might be best if you left that behind."

Quill looked scandalized. "My sashimono? Your Highness, surely even Ganondorf would not be so lacking in honor."

"I wish I could be so certain of that," Zelda replied evenly. "Even so, the Gerudo King is hardly known for sending daggers in the night. This must be Kotake's work. Rest assured that she and honor parted ways long before any of us were born." Quill nodded grimly and removed his sashimono with obvious reluctance. "Make haste, runner, but caution more than haste. Our time is not running low so quickly that Hyrule can afford to risk you casually."

"In ninety years of service, I have never failed to deliver my message and return with my skin whole," Quill said solemnly, then grinned and rubbed his ribs with one hand. "Well, more or less."

She handed him the rolled-up letter, which looked blank once again. "Only Link's touch will reveal its message."

"Impressive." Quill knelt and bowed as he had while wearing the sashimono. "Your Highness." He stood, braced himself, then raced away with a speed like a falcon's. _Gods be with you,_ Zelda thought, the worry she'd banished returning, redoubled. She gestured the charm into darkness once more and walked back to her room. With Impa sleeping and Senza and Zuko having retired, for the night, she knew she should have been more concerned for her own safety, even in the castle. It didn't matter. _Link, for the love of Nayru, be careful._

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"Hunter," the grizzled mercenary grunted. The man facing him nodded. "I'm supposed to believe that?"

'Hunter' snorted. "I don't really care. My skill," he replied, crimson eyes shining in the moonlight, "speaks for me." Inwardly, Link frowned. _Suspicious after one word. Not good._

"Well," the huge man at the door said, crossing massive, scarred arms, "I've never heard of a red-eyed man named Hunter, either. There's only one Sheikah left, and you ain't her. Bloody eyes are bad omens."

"Hunter's eyes for a hunter's moon," Link said, hoping he sounded menacing. He let the beast within thread a growl into his voice. "You haven't heard of me because I do my job, and no one ever knows that a job was done except my employer." He smiled coldly. "Unfortunately, most of my references are unavailable, thanks to your own employer and that Hero, Din sear him."

"Let him come," a whisper came from within the house, slightly feminine, with a paper dryness. Link grinned ferociously at the mercenary, who grunted and moved to let him in. "Unless he is the Hero himself," the voice continued, "unlikely given that he and that fool who calls herself Sheikah have not had the time to train together, we can dispatch him if necessary."

_That voice...so empty,_ Link thought, suppressing a shiver. _Thank the gods she's wrong about the training._ Hunter strode forward, the old Skulltula House as dark and foreboding as ever. He could just barely make out a table with five people at it. _At least the curse is gone. Or, I guess, never was._ That seemed odd, given that they'd been cursed before he ever met Zelda. _Another one of the Arbiter's time problems? Can't worry about that now._ He leaned on the table, four more mercenaries glaring at him. None were as huge as the man who'd barred the entrance, but each was vicious, bedraggled and scarred in his or her own way. One had the stubby ears of an Altean; one of the women looked half-Gerudo. They all seemed dangerous. What truly worried Link, though, was that the woman who'd spoken was still shrouded in darkness at the far end of the table. "What does Sheikah training have to do with it?" Hunter rumbled, glaring at the barely visible outline of the woman across from him.

"You may have passed off your appearance as a mere curiosity to others," she said, her voice almost ghostly, "but you cannot fool me...cousin." Link gasped when the woman leaned forward. _Crimson eyes._ The Truth sight flickered, and his mana rippled in shock. _The Eye!_

Hunter shook visibly. That took no deception on Link's part. "I...I thought I was the last." The other mercenaries made various sounds of surprise, not quite letting fear show, and slid away from him.

"Yes, given your age I imagine you would," she replied. "If you are willing to serve our purpose, you needn't share the fate of the weakling Impa."

Hunter snorted. "Impa is no weakling. It has taken every shred of skill I have to hide from her." He grabbed the remaining chair and sat. "If she's the target, though, I'm in." Hunter's smile went as cold as Shadow. "Let the Last Traitor fall."

Meanwhile, the man beneath the disguise barely held onto his control. _Farore,_ Link thought in horror, his training rippling in disbelief. _She's Sheikah, all right...and if I'm reading this right, she's been brainwashed. Kotake. Sear her. Sear her to ASH!_

"Traitor?" the Sheikah whispered. "No. She must die, but call her no traitor, child." Her voice hardened and strengthened, still quiet but no longer a whisper. "In any case, she is not our target." Hunter scowled, to which the other mercenaries chuckled in gallows humor. "Oh, you will get your chance, boy. The odds that we will not face her are slim indeed." Link's blood froze. "Yes, you see it. We are to take the girl alive, but all that is required of us is that her mind works and her heart beats. The accursed Princess Zelda will be brought to Great Ganondorf, and when the Hero draws the Sword, he will take all that she bears from her."

_Gods. What does she mean?_ Link wanted to tear them apart on the spot, but... _They know something. Zel can't have the..._ Hunter laughed mirthlessly. "Zelda. The false Sheikah. I _will_ enjoy this." He flipped needle-blades in his hands with casual ease born of relentless training. "Yet what can the Gerudo King possibly want from her?"

The big mercenary took a step closer, but the Sheikah held up her hand. "We are given to understand that the Hero will soon claim the Master Sword. Her capture will hasten his hand. The world will change that day. One of those changes will be the princess. No more need you know." The mercenaries all chuckled and fingered their weapons.

Hunter vanished in an explosion of smoke and shadow. Link appeared behind the largest mercenary, already whirling and slashing. The last thing the brute saw was the power and flame of his Spin Attack. "You got that right," he said hoarsely, charging toward the other four as he spoke. They stood and drew their weapons, but hung back, eyeing the Hero's garb warily. The Sheikah retreated further into the shadows, but not the Shadow itself. Link stopped and pointed his Great Fairy's Sword at them. _Well, if they're smart enough to not want this fight..._ "Yield or die," he said simply.

They screamed and charged. Link whirled through them, and though he took a few noticeable cuts and bruises, in less than a minute there was just him and the Sheikah. "Interesting," she whispered. "You should not be possible."

"Yeah," he said slowly, sheathing his sword and putting away his shield, "I get a lot of that." He looked at her intently, drawing on the Eye's insight and his own instincts as deeply as he could. "You're resisting it. Farore, it must be twenty years now, and you're resisting..."

"Ganondorf rules the Shadow," she replied, her voice hollow. "Only a handful of the Blood remain, no more than two dozen, and of them, Impa alone remains free." Her eyes, once reflective and empty, seemed to open, revealing endless depths. "You are one of us, now. You and Zelda alike. In the service of Ganondorf, of the Shadow, you can be together."

Link recoiled. _How - ?_ "Lady..."

"I am Fanadi." She slid into a complex stance Link didn't recognize. _Oh, that can't be good._

"Lady Fanadi, you can surrender. Impa and Zelda can free you. You don't have to be alone." Link held out his hand. "Come on."

Fanadi shuddered, and her hand twitched. A moment later, though, she stepped backwards, already sinking into the Shadow. "It is too late, Trained One. You must choose - Sheikah, or Zelda." She vanished.

"Farore!" he swore, exploding into the night. _Sheikah vanishing is too short-range for her to have gone far._ The Hero ignored the stunned looks from Kakariko's people, only a handful familiar from his previous life. "Navi!"

#I can't...wait! Behind you - watch out!#

Link rolled away, the Sheikah's daggers flashing far too close for comfort. "Choose, Hero. Those were not my only mercenaries."

"I'm not going to choose," Link shot back. "I'm going to protect Zelda and save you."

"Fool Hero," she sighed. The needles flew at him, but his shield was ready before she moved, and he blocked the spray of blades. The few Kakarikans around them screamed and darted into their homes. Link grimaced. _Have to end this quickly._ He slung his shield on his back again.

#Link? What are you doing?# Navi 'pathed. #Okay, you don't want to kill her, but holy Nayru, she's not some Stalchild, she's a Sheikah!#

#Trust me,# he replied confidently. Her concern faded, and while it didn't vanish, her faith in him bolstered his resolve. _Thank you._ Link vanished.

"Pah!" Fanadi turned and held her hands up to parry before Link reappeared, already facing him when he emerged. "Arrogant pup!"

"I'm not trying to beat _you,_ my lady," he replied, letting her catch his arms in her own. Then he gestured, forming the First Mind Kata and touching her thoughts, banishing the foul mana inside her. _Even without the Master Sword,_ he thought, _I have some Power to Repel Evil. I think. I hope._ Something fierce and hateful and terrible resisted him, but he threw all his strength of will into ripping it out by the roots. _So close...come on..._ Just when Link thought he wouldn't quite make it, a power inside the Sheikah rose up and pushed the foulness free. It howled with endless hunger denied, then vanished.

Fanadi screamed and collapsed. Link caught her. "By...by the gods..." She smiled up at him dizzily, though not weakly. "...you're everything Impa believes you are..." The Sheikah shook her head. "Great Shadow. Let me sit, boy."

Link guided her gently to the grass. "Lady Fanadi, are you all right?"

"Lady, hah," Fanadi chuckled wryly, "I am Sheikah. Yes, I am well, thank you. Still disoriented from so long as Twinrova's slave, but well." The erstwhile assassin frowned. "We must make haste. There were to be two attempts on the princess. If one was discovered, it would provide a distraction for the other."

"Light and Time," Link gasped. "We had no idea..."

Fanadi touched him on the Eye, and he felt her mind, relatively clear and patently faithful to the royal family. #Kotake knew the moment you freed me. Be wary, Hero.# After a moment, she added, #You can trust me.# She stood shakily, but her grip was like steel. Were it not for the Gauntlets, Link suspected she'd be at least as strong as he was.

He grinned. "I knew that part." Link's smile vanished. "Contact Impa. Go to her old home, the man there can reach her. I have to go." Fanadi simply nodded and strode toward the house, still clearly disoriented, but each step more steady than the last. Link raced towards the outskirts of town and Epona.

In his haste, he almost ran headlong into Quill. Only their combined reflexes kept them from plowing into one another. "Farore!" he gasped, stumbling back. "Quill?"

"Link. Thank the gods." He handed the Hero the letter. "Zelda sends this."

Link nodded. "Forgive me, runner, but unless Ganondorf is marching toward the castle, her message cannot be as important as mine. Assassins are heading for Castle Town even now. They mean to murder Impa and kidnap Zelda." The messenger paled. "Can you still run?" Link asked desperately. Quill pulled himself up, looking vaguely offended, but only nodded and raced off back towards Hyrule Castle. When Link, no slowpoke himself, had reached Epona, Quill was already at the bridge. _They must know where the secret entrances are as well,_ Link thought, spurring Epona into the field.

Link frowned again. _Farore. That place is riddled with secrets. I hope Impa is guarding them well._ Link's frown vanished. _Right. Impa's ignoring such an obvious threat to the castle's safety. And Ganondorf's going to wear one of Zelda's gowns on the day he surrenders. Which should be about three days after the Evil Realm's sky shines gold._ He pulled out the letter as he rode, and ink appeared on the paper, but before he could get three words in, the Hero spotted a man hiding in the bushes. Tucking the letter in his pouch, he drew his arrow and took aim. "Show yourself."

A woman leaped at him from one of the trees. Navi appeared above her, and Link fired an Ice Arrow into the killer. She fell to the ground, a thunderstruck look on her face just before her body shattered. "Farore! To the castle, quickly!" a third voice shouted, and four figures ran across the field.

_Gods be good._ Link gritted his teeth, turned Epona, spurred her and took aim. Years of practice on the Gerudo archery track had made him more than a fair shot on horseback, but Navi couldn't target for him like this, and pots didn't dodge expertly across rolling fields. One mercenary fell. Two. The survivors moved with greater agility, but even then, they weren't Link's real concern. Epona would soon catch them. _If Fanadi's group had a Sheikah leader..._

Smoke and shadow exploded to their left. Link brought his shield around clumsily, but still wasn't able to stop the entire flight of needles, one striking home. Epona screamed and reared, throwing Link. The Hero, half-expecting it all, managed to roll with the flight, landing on his feet. A slender man cloaked entirely in Shadow faced the Hero; Link felt a moment of panic before he realized his foe was too slender to be his own Dark side. The Eye came to life again, looking for the magical domination. To his horror, there was none.

"Killed Fanadi, did we?" the Sheikah chuckled cruelly, and Link could almost feel the man looking at his Eye. "Fool boy, how did you _think_ a Gerudo captured so many of the Shadow Blood?"

_So...many?_ Link's only response was a Light Arrow, but the Sheikah was too fast, disappearing before his shot could hit home. #Navi?#

#I tried to target him, but he...slid away. I can't describe it.# Navi whirled above Link in concern. #The closest I can come to it is that it...felt wrong. Like that Dark Fire stuff.#

Link swallowed. #He moves through Dark Fire. Great.#

#I didn't say that,# Navi corrected.

#I know. I did.# Link turned slowly, trading bow for sword, watching for his enemy. "Easy, girl," he said, patting Epona's side. The horse whinnied and stamped her feet, but held still otherwise. Carefully, he used his free hand to slide the blade from her haunch. She drooped her head in apology, and he poured a few drops of Red Potion on the gash. "It's shallow, Epona, you'll be just fine. Go," he said, nudging her. She trotted a few yards away, then turned and watched him carefully. Link unslung his shield again.

The Hero felt a ripple across the edge of Shadow. _He's trying to get to Castle Town! If I lose him there..._ He ran desperately towards the city. Epona galloped back to his side, and he mounted on the run, riding with abandon towards the closed drawbridge. The mercenaries tried to flank him when he rode between them; their range made it relatively easy to finish one off with an Ice Arrow, and that convinced the other to choose the better part of valor.

The ground itself bulged, a flame that writhed like burning worms welling up and spitting the Sheikah out. He flew at Link, knocking the Hero off Epona, then launched himself toward the city. _NO!_ Without thinking, Link drew his Hookshot and fired. Apparently taken by surprise, the Sheikah stopped, stunned, and Link raced towards him, sword drawn.

The traitor recovered just as the first blow fell, and he roared in pain even while he drew his knives. Link snarled at the phenomenal speed his opponent showed, but he held his own all the same. _He's wild, undisciplined,_ Link thought, moving with deliberate grace and expertise. The Hero also had a huge strength advantage, which he learned when they locked blades. Though the villain used two arms against Link's one, the Hero of Time still threw him back with little more than a shrug. The Sheikah snarled. "Strength isn't everything, 'Hero.'"

"Neither is speed," Link retorted, gesturing with his shield hand for the Sheikah to come at him. Instead, the assassin stalked from side to side, watching him carefully.

"We know about Sheik," he whispered tauntingly, sneering. "Or should I say Zelda?" Link forced his expression to remain unmoved. "Oh, I'm sure you guessed that, but do you know what the penalty is for pretending to be of the Shadow Tribe?" His sneer grew. "I wonder how the mistress of the Light Force will manage in the Twilight Realm."

Link's only response was a snarl. Navi spun in a furious spiral between the two men, trying to synchronize with their foe. "Aren't we the articulate one," the Sheikah laughed.

"At least I'm not the coward here," Link replied coldly, stalking carefully towards the Sheikah.

His foe laughed again, dancing backwards. A footstep spread cold and shadow, and the grass around him died. "Please. Save your righteous indignation for someone who cares."

"How about stupidity, then?" Link shot back. "Your mercenaries are dead or gone, your backup is dead, and you are in no way any kind of match for Impa."

"It's a good thing Kotake drained her energy in their last battle, then," he said, swaggering as he sidestepped to get around Link. The Hero moved with the man, teeth bared. "Nothing especially serious, alas, but I imagine she'll be - AH!" Link shut him up with a Deku Nut, then drew a Light Arrow. His distraction gave Navi the chance to harmonize with his foe, and he let the arrow fly.

The villain's shadow sheath roiled and fluctuated, exposing various areas of his body. Most of it was covered by the Sheikah body suit, but his bald head was completely exposed. Link glared in fury. "Sakon."

Sakon recoiled, snarling, then vanished. Link followed into Shadow, but Sakon had moved away from the castle, and Link wasn't going to delve into his strange Dark Fire if he was just fleeing. When they reappeared, however, they weren't much farther from the castle. "Farore!" Sakon swore. "You're...you're Trained."

Link simply moved towards the traitor, sword once again at the ready. Sakon held up his hands in a defensive stance. _No more Deku Nuts,_ Link thought, but he had another plan forming. "Yield or die."

"Ah, back to the strong, silent type, are we..." Sakon hissed, no longer so confident. "I promise you, Hero, Zelda will pay _dearly_ for your-"

"DIN'S FIRE!" Link roared, and Sakon screamed. Nothing existed for the Hero but the Sheikah traitor. "You will not touch her! YOU WILL NOT!" The Great Fairy's Sword flashed, tearing into Sakon's body. He was dimly aware of the Sheikah's blades slashing him, but Link didn't care. He was going to -

Sheik appeared behind the Hero, grabbed him, and pulled him through space into Castle Town.

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"I surrender," Sheik said dryly. _Perhaps this was not my best plan ever._

Link was quivering, face hidden by the darkness, standing over the prone Sheik with the Great Fairy's Sword raised. "Are you mad?" he asked, voice shaking like a leaf in a storm.

"Please, Hero, you didn't even leave a bruise," she said, rolling and bouncing to her feet. Sheik brushed herself off and looked the Hero over critically. "You, on the other hand, need bandaging."

"These?" Link gestured at the slashes across his chest and scoffed. "I get worse fighting Stalfos in the mountains. The goddesses' blessing keeps them from bleeding seriously, as you may recall." He trembled as he sheathed his sword. "Farore, Sheik, I could have killed you."

"I trust you," Sheik whispered passionately. _I looo...Farore, I can't even say it in my mind when he's this close. Coward!_ Link grimaced and looked away. "Link, an enemy would have never been able to catch you unaware as I did. Your Eye recognized me."

"I appreciate your concern, honestly, but do you have any good reason for pulling me from battle against a man who promised worse than death for Zelda?" Link growled. He was already walking towards the Temple of Time.

"You haven't read Zelda's message yet, have you?" Sheik asked quietly. Link glanced back at her, then down at his pouch. He gestured, and a second later he was reading the message.

The Hero licked his lips. "Y...she...I was born in Maya. I have a birthday." He looked up at the stars and smiled faintly, tears trickling down his cheeks. "With the Kokiri, it's celebrated more as Bonding Day, but almost every Kokiri bonds to a fairy on his fifth birthday. I..." He shook his head. "Later. I take it this means I'm expected to...visit the Temple of Time in three days."

_Gods. I should have known this would be important to him._ Sheik placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "Link, I'm sorry." He nodded in reply, but didn't move. _Link?_ she wondered, taking a step around him to see his face. He hadn't moved. "That's why I pulled you from that fight - you need to be ready. When you draw the Master Sword, you'll have to be at your peak." The Hero nodded again. "Okay. Let's...let's go to the palace. They can dress your wounds." Once more, he nodded, his gaze returning to earth, towards the castle. He followed her obediently for a time, then frowned as they left Castle Town. "What?"

"I wounded Sakon badly, but I fear he'll live," he replied. "We'll have to watch out for him." Suddenly he looked at Sheik intently. "Did Fanadi make it?"

Sheik blinked. "Who's Fanadi?"

Link smiled, the first genuine smile she'd seen on him for far too long. "It looks like I have a pleasant surprise for you, too."


	14. Part 2, Ch 2: Nocturne of Destiny

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Two: Nocturne of Destiny**

"So she's been keeping you alive, in reserve, all these years?" Impa asked as calmly as she could. Even with her Mind Katas, seeing Fanadi alive and astonishingly well after so long left a quaver in her voice. She offered her a cup of Deku mint tea.

Fanadi accepted, then shook her head sadly. "Alive, yes, but not solely in reserve. We were used very rarely, but we were used. I fear we have been responsible for more than one death in Hyrule over the last fifteen years." She sipped gently. "Some of us held out longer than others, but I broke a little over a decade ago. I wrapped my Mind in the Shadow with the faint hope you could free me." She rubbed her fingers on the low table fondly. "Which, I suppose, you did. By the gods, how did you find the time to train the Hero?"

_We cheated,_ Impa thought with a burst of good humor. Link hadn't learned any actual techniques in his previous life, but his observations both in that stream and this were enough to give them a head start. She regarded her fellow Sheikah with considerable relief. _How long has it been since I sat cross-legged at the tea table?_ Impa wondered, taking in the sight of the long unused teapot. "He is very talented, as you discovered. You always were powerful in the mental arts, however," she said more seriously, pouring herself a few sips. "I suspect we will need Zelda to free the others." She drank mindfully, enjoying the feel of the life and shadow of Forest mana flowing through her. Then Impa carefully placed the cup back in its saucer. "Then there is the one we will not need to free. Sakon. _Sakon._ Right here under my nose. I should be stripped of my Tear."

Fanadi chuckled at that. "Sakon was always sneaky. None of us suspected him, and I doubt even you would recognize him now." Her humor evaporated quickly. "I am told the Hero only knew his name from a counterpart on another world - Terminus?"

"Termina," Impa corrected absently, taking another sip. "Apparently, no one knew him as anything but a strange figure of an incompetent thief in Castle Town. His Terminan counterpart was better known."

"Unless it is the same Sakon, and he has been traveling between dimensions, we needn't worry about that." Fanadi joined Impa in a sip, then lowered her cup. "Your apprentice should not have interfered. Sakon will be a problem."

"I will deal with that murderous traitor," Impa replied coldly, "never fear on that account. As for Link, he is no mere Sheikah warrior, but the legendary Hero of Time. When he draws the Master Sword, much will fall to him, including the defeat of Ganondorf himself." She put her cup aside. "Had he taken more grievous wounds, Link might have been vulnerable when the time came."

"Impa, Hyrule has the finest healing magic ever known." Fanadi shook her head. "She cares for him, doesn't she?"

"To call what Zelda feels for Link 'caring' is to look at the sun and call it a candle," Impa replied with rueful humor. "As I said, Sakon will not be a problem. What truly concerns me are the others." The Sheikah bodyguard looked past Fanadi, imagining the Tribe's survivors floating in the air or sleeping in coffins of Shadow or ice. _Kotake would like that, coffins of ice,_ Impa thought direly. "How are we to free them?"

Fanadi shook her head. "I do not believe it will be possible while Kotake lives. She has ever been jealous of her hold on us, even with her own sister. Now, her grip makes iron seem like air. Only the Evil King's command sent me into battle. Sakon's...assistance...was her idea, though he rather relished the notion."

Impa laughed at that, fierce and harsh. "I imagine that apostate regrets his ardor now." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "One other matter concerns me. It is of minor import to the coming battle, but since both are Trained, it is a matter for the Tribe."

"Link returns your apprentice's feelings?" Fanadi asked. Impa nodded grimly, to which Fanadi grinned. "This is cause for such a sour look? When was the last time that two with Shadow in their veins were so bound together?"

"I was not entirely certain until I saw him battle Sakon through the Shadow," Impa replied carefully, "but it is...complicated. Zelda is not merely Trained, but the Crown Princess, and a wizard of the Light besides." Fanadi's grin vanished. "Of greatest concern to me in this matter is the volatility of her feelings at this time. Even I cannot guess how she will react to seeing his ferocity in her defense."

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Zelda hummed her Lullaby happily, almost dancing to her window before throwing the curtains open with a flourish. The nightgown flared around her ankles as she spun to a particularly emphatic note. She made her bed with a gesture. _I think the maid will survive one day of that,_ she thought with a chuckle, remembering the last time she'd made her own bed. Then she sat down and summoned her diary.

_Let's see. Impa's not alone anymore. We know when he can draw the Master Sword._ She pressed a hand against her belly._"You will not touch her! YOU WILL NOT!"_ she remembered, trying to relegate the moment to a minor bonus and failing utterly. _A bodyguard does not react like that. A man hypnotized by the gods does not react like that. Even a caring friend isn't quite so...protective._ Her hand raced across the pages, morning light streaming through her room as she wrote. Zelda couldn't remember the last time the words had flowed so naturally. Every event, every detail appeared as if conjured.

Then she looked at what she wrote, and froze. _Nayru. What do I do now?_ It was almost exactly two days before the moment Link would have to... _Analysis._ Only the tiniest flicker of doubt remained in a deep corner of her mind. _Examination._ If he felt...what she felt...was there any real danger in telling him? _I've never told him either, after all. Surely it would be a great comfort to him to know, if I am right._ She tapped the feathered end of the quill on the paper. _Surely it would be the right thing to do...wouldn't it?_ Zelda worried at her lower lip with her teeth. _Love of Nayru! I can negotiate treaties with skittish kings in my sleep, hold together fragile alliances in the face of Ganondorf Dragmire, all but end poverty in my kingdom, and leave foolish barons ten times my age cowed and obedient, but I can't figure out whether I'm being selfish over Link!_ She stood, closing the diary again and dismissing it. The quill flew into its ink pot, refilling itself.

She strode to the door, but stopped when she touched the handle. _Gods. I'm not still afraid...am I?_ Zelda licked her lips, then firmed her resolve. _I'm going to do this._ She opened the door and strode through.

"Your Highness!" Senza gasped. Zuko bit his lip, clearly trying not to chuckle.

"What?" Zelda demanded, whirling on them. "Has Father grounded me, and I was not informed?"

"But...but Little Princess...it isn't proper to..." Senza gestured up and down at her, scandalized. For some reason, he couldn't quite make himself look directly at her.

"I bet Master Link wouldn't mind," Zuko quipped, tears forming at the effort of not laughing.

Zelda's eyes felt like they were going to pop out, they went so wide. She looked down. _I'm...I'm still in my shift,_ she realized, certain that she was turning a bright enough red that she could read by the glow. Without another word, she drew herself to her full height, looked straight into her room, and marched back in, closing the door behind her.

Zuko finally exploded, whooping helplessly. "Stop that!" Senza barked, gauntlet clanking against pauldron. The smaller knight tried to control himself, but another outburst escaped him.

_I suppose waiting until noon wouldn't hurt,_ Zelda thought, even her internal voice soft and humbled, as she walked softly to her closet.

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"HAH!" Link slashed and whirled, then parried Nabooru's blade with the Master Sword replica he wielded.

"Excellent," Nabooru said, nodding. "It is fortunate that you began using that magnificent purple blade a few years ago. You are still overcompensating a touch, but once you're using the true Blade exclusively, it will likely be a minor adjustment. You are doing well." She stepped back, looked him over, then leaped at him with both scimitars spinning.

Link caught them between his sword and shield, slid the blade up to the hilt, and twisted. The wing-like quillons locked against her blades, and he pushed, twisting again and sending both weapons flying. "I try," he said simply, taking long, deep breaths. "Break?"

"Sure," she agreed, gesturing to a nearby bench. They sat, and the Hero accepted a bottle of milk gladly. "Mmm. Lon Lon," she noted, Link nodding in emphatic agreement. When he finished, head snapping back down, he looked across the castle training ground without thinking. Several knights were watching them coldly, varying levels of imagined violence glittering in envious eyes. Every one of them was from the 'chivalry,' older, larger and several orders of magnitude wealthier than Link, yet their jealousy of the Hero was obvious. Those glares were nothing, though, to the way they looked at Nabooru. The paradoxical way their eyes took her in made Link want to call the Great Fairy's Sword back to his hand and issue a few challenges.

_At least they'd just kill me. It never ends, does it?_ he thought with a sigh. Link held up the replica of the Master Sword, weighing it in his hand. He'd trained with it on and off for months, a gift from his Sworn Brother, and was still amazed at how much its balance and heft were like the true Blade of Evil's Bane. He looked at Nabooru and gestured in the air with the weapon. "How do you think the Gorons did it?" Link asked.

Nabooru grinned. "You're the Hero of Time," she replied with a wink. "It was destiny." The Spirit Sage leaned back and looked into the sky. "Of course, I imagine the records had some information about the forging process, and no one knows stone or metal like the Gorons, but...I have to admit that lately, I've felt the gods taking a more direct hand." She looked over at the Hero and shrugged. "As much as they ever do, of course."

Link nodded, taking off his hat carefully, then his tunic more casually, and exhaled. #Do you mind?# Navi 'pathed irritably, shifting in the conical cloth.

#Hey, I'm working up a sweat out here,# Link retorted with amusement. #You're the one who decided to live in...a...hat...# The Hero blinked and looked at Nabooru in confusion. She was staring. "What? Did Sakon leave scars?" He checked his chest. _It doesn't look like I have any new ones._ There was the one Phantom Ganon had left, a thin diagonal slash across the front - nothing to the one directly across his back, which Link knew he'd be buried with - but still a vivid pale line. Stalfos had left two others, their vile swords touched with Dark Fire. There were a few other permanent marks, but the rest were just recent. _They'll fade like the others, I'm sure._

Nabooru's expression went flat, and she crossed her arms. "Link of the Kokiri, I am honored that you respect me as a warrior, but in case you had forgotten, I _am_ also a woman."

"Woman? What does that have to do...with..." Link swallowed. Nabooru smiled again, realizing that it wasn't her gender he was unaware of, and took in the sight of him with naked relish.

"I especially like the effect of the tights without the tunic," she said saucily. _Solid red, with eyeholes. Definitely._ Link rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It leaves just that enticing bit of a hint to the imagination." Her eyes flickered across his chest. "Some women think wounds mar a man's beauty, but some of us like to see marks of valor on a fine body." Navi giggled uproariously, the hat flopping on the table next to them.

"Nabooru!" Link gasped, finally reclaiming his voice. The Gerudo laughed.

"Relax, Link. I know where your heart lies." She stood and walked towards the arsenal, winking as she passed. "If she doesn't have the wits to claim you, though, a warrior like you could always find a home among the Gerudo."

Link wiped his mouth as she left, though he hardly needed to, dry as it had gone. "farore," he breathed quietly. "Navi, I think it's time to go inside. I'm hungry, how about you?"

#No argument here!# she replied jauntily, the occasional snicker still escaping the hat. The Hero nodded, stood, turned to pick up his tunic, and froze. _Those...eyes..._

Zelda was as paralyzed as he was, her endless eyes twin lakes, shining and vast. "L...Link..."

His paralysis vanished. Immediately, he strode to her side. "Zelda, is something wrong?" The Hero looked her over in alarm. "Zel, you're trembling. Are you all right?" She was leaning on the archway she'd half-entered through. Link looked at her neck, nodded, then placed two fingers on her main artery. "Mm-hm. Heart's racing faster than Epona at full gallop."

"I'm fine," Zelda replied suddenly and loudly, stepping back from Link. "I...I just came to talk, and..." she cleared her throat. "Why don't you put on your tunic? Then we can go somewhere less..." she glared at the watching knights as if noticing them for the first time. "...problematic."

The knights suddenly looked away, milling about for a few seconds. Then they trickled off into the castle, Link believing he heard muttering about important duties and the like. The Hero shrugged. "Well, okay, but I still want you to see a healer when we're done." He walked to the table and pulled on his tunic, then set his hat on carefully.

#Oh, now I count for something,# Navi teased.

#Love of Nayru, Navi, will you please settle down?# Link 'pathed back. #Better yet, go to the infirmary and see if we can take care of Zel discreetly.#

The tiny fairy giggled. #Gods, you really are oblivious sometimes. Trust me, she's not sick.# She laid herself on his head, propping herself up on her elbows, and he felt her wink at him. #Well, lovesick, maybe.#

Link scowled like a thunderhead. #That's not funny, Navi.#

"I haven't disturbed you, have I, Link?" Zelda asked suddenly, jumping slightly at his expression.

The Hero immediately smoothed his face over, smiling gently at the princess. "No! No. No, that's Navi's job," he said, pointing at his hat.

#I wasn't joking, you know,# Navi said casually, suddenly finding one strand of hair particularly interesting.

"And she excels at it," Link muttered, rolling his eyes.

Zelda giggled, and Link's heart felt light. "Don't ride him too hard, Navi. It's not his fault." The Sage of Time took his hand suddenly, and Link found himself being towed implacably through the castle.

"Din!" Link blurted. _What in Farore's name has gotten into her?_ He followed all the same, confused or not. "Zelda, what are you doing?"

"We haven't much time," the Sage said, seeming as cryptic as her element, "and I want to do this before meetings and ceremonies and preparations swallow me up for the rest of...until your birthday," she finished softly.

Link picked up his pace to keep Zelda from having to drag him. "Is that supposed to make any sense?" he asked, utterly lost. _She hasn't done this in years,_ he thought, remembering being tugged from one end of the castle to the other in their youth. He hadn't minded before, and in truth he wouldn't have minded then either..._if I had the slightest idea what she was up to!_

Zelda slowed, though she didn't stop. "Yes," she finally said, "but you're not to blame for your lack of understanding."

"That's the second time you've said that," Link noted. "I'm even starting to almost believe it. Zelda, where in Farore's name are we going?"

At that, Zelda giggled again. _It's almost like we're ten, again, and everything...we've been through...doesn't matter._ She glanced over her shoulder at him, then led them around another corner and up a sloping corridor. "This part, you have no excuse not to know. You snuck in up there often enough."

"Your garden?" Link cocked his head, more lost than ever. "If you want privacy, there must be more secure places to talk."

"Not for this." One more corridor, and then they were through the door. _As beautiful as I remember - FARORE!_

"DOWN!" Link shouted, shield appearing magically between them and the needle-blades flying at them. Zelda was already moving, rolling away and transforming into Sheik. "Sakon," the Hero growled.

"Impossible!" Sheik objected in shock. "The wards, the charms, Impa!"

A figure covered entirely in Shadow landed in the center of the garden. For an instant, Link thought it might not be Sakon, because their foe, while lean, was broader than Sakon and well-muscled. Wounds showed through the sheath, however, ragged indentations of darkness that matched where Link had ravaged the Sheikah traitor. He moved like the Sakon he'd met in the field as well, with reckless, superhuman speed. Now, however, those movements were jerky and graceless. _From the injuries, no doubt,_ Link guessed. _Even this Shadow sorcery has its limits, apparently._ The Hero circled towards Sheik, watching Sakon as the villain darted back and forth warily. "Traitor or not, he's a Sheikah."

The blankness covering the eyes vanished suddenly, red eyes literally glowing. The would-be assassin stared at Link, locking eyes with a desperation completely at odds with his slack expression. #Cold,# he 'pathed with a hollow echo. #Alone.#

Link stared back in horror. _That - that wasn't Sakon - Farore, now what?_ "Sheik, did you hear that?" The Hero's ally nodded warily. _She's going to kill me for this._ Slowly, carefully, he sheathed his blade and held out his hand. "Listen. You're not alone now. We might be able to help you, if you - gods!"

Even compared to what he'd seen, the Shadow-thing's speed took Link completely by surprise. He - it? - had grasped his hand like a drowning man, eyes flickering with conflict. #So close. So very close. Please help me. Do you remember me, Hero? Let - let me go! Make them let me go!# The contact all came from the same figure, but each one sounded different. Link only recognized the last one, Sakon's voice sounding as if it came from the bottom of a well, but they were all familiar in different ways.

"Release him, traitor!" Sheik roared, plunging her dagger into the arm that held Link. Both Sakon and the Shadow that controlled him screamed, releasing the Hero and rocketing backwards.

The glow faded from their opponent's eyes, leaving only Sakon's hateful glare. "You'll pay for that, you-" The traitor was cut off, quite literally, by twin blades plunging through his chest.

"Wrong," Impa hissed from behind him. "You pay. Now. In full." The Shadow screamed again, then swirled above them, blotting out the sun briefly. Then it vanished, and Sakon fell over, unmoving. Link and Sheik looked at each other in relief. Zelda reappeared, her second self swirling away in a mixture of light and shadow. She paled slightly at the sight of the body. _Gods, that's right,_ Link realized, _that's the first time she's watched an actual person die._

All at once, the garden was a frenzy of activity. Senza and Zuko were there almost immediately, of course, soon followed by half a dozen attendants and a handful of discreet servants. The king himself didn't take long to arrive. _Of course,_ Link thought with a mental sigh. _So much for privacy._ He stepped away to allow His Majesty to fuss over his obviously frustrated daughter. Impa tapped him on the back of his shoulder, then guided him out of the chaos with two fingers on his back. "Impa?" he asked quietly once they were within the castle proper.

"Ganondorf has played us for fools again," the Sheikah growled. "No - me. I am the one who killed Sakon."

Link stared for a moment, unable to speak. _Was that Impa?_ He checked with the Eye, just to be sure. "Impa, any one of us would have killed him given the chance." The Hero frowned, understanding Impa's frustration in an intuitive rush. "I take it his death had something to do with the reaction of that...that thing on him."

"Indeed." Impa leaned close and touched his brow, then through it, his mind. #Blood sacrifice has little use outside Dark Fire sorcery, but it can be used to manipulate death itself, creating a mockery of life. Such creatures are more intelligent and effective than a normal Stalfos or ReDead.# He felt her concern for him like a flash of light in the silver-gray of their connection. #You have faced such evil before.#

His dark counterpart, and Zelda's, both rose in his thoughts. #Another Dark reflection?#

#Perhaps,# Impa replied dubiously, #but Ganondorf prefers...innovation. What I can be certain of is that he means to create a living Shadow with the power of the Shadow Tribe. A Dark Sheikah.#

Link suppressed a desire to draw the Triforce over his heart. #Gods be good.# He took a long breath, then made himself look Impa in the eyes. #There's more, _sensei._ When we touched, I heard minds.# He replayed the voices for Zelda's protector. #Not one, but several, at least three aside from Sakon's.#

Impa's mood brightened in their connection. Outwardly, her face smoothed to placidity. #At least one unwilling subject. Kotake grows desperate. If we can reach this soul, save it as you did Fanadi's...a marvel among marvels, incidentally, and again, I thank you with all my heart...then Ganondorf's vile masterwork will be our ally, not his.#

#Love of Nayru, Impa, I was just doing what I'm meant to,# Link replied, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. #As for the creature, what about the other two voices?#

#They felt...incomplete, somehow,# Impa 'pathed slowly. #More I cannot deduce, Hero.# Her will became as unyielding as the Master Sword itself. #I'll not tell you to abandon the captive spirit, Link, but do not become reckless.#

#I won't, _sensei._ Um...# He glanced behind him, toward the entrance to the garden. #...there is one more thing. Zelda wanted to talk to me about something. She didn't seem well.#

A ripple of amusement pulsed through Impa's mind. Navi, for some reason, chuckled at that. #You needn't fear for the princess. She is quite hale. Simply...frustrated, I suspect.# The humor vanished. #Be gentle with her, Hero of Time. The topic is delicate.#

#I will never hurt Zelda, _sensei.#_ He stepped back, breaking the connection, and bowed slightly. _I would rather be in Kotake's hands again._ "If you'll excuse me." He headed back for the training field. _Too much to do, not enough time._

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_If Sakon weren't already dead, I'd..._ Zelda's thoughts trailed off. A part of her was still furious with the traitor to the Tribe, and the interruption was only a small part of it. _He was evil. He was a coward. He..._ The frozen look of shock on his face flickered through her mind. Blood pooling among her lilies made her shiver. _How can I feel sympathy for that...that...oooh!_

Ganondorf's monsters had been so different. The undead, of course, were a category unto themselves, but the dodongos and keese also vanished in spurts of shadow and flame. Even Koume had blown herself up, leaving nothing behind at all.

The traitor's body was probably being burned even then. _My counterpart was used to death by thirteen,_ she told herself fiercely. A far grimmer thought struck her, and she shivered again. _I'd best get used to it as well. Sakon will hardly be the last, and far more noble souls will share his fate in the days to come._

Zelda sighed heavily, indulging in one more moment of emotion, then gathered herself with an act of will. She looked around the antechamber, going over the ceremony once more. _Sir Colin. Has a nice ring to it,_ she thought determinedly. _Rusl's son has come a long way the last few years._ Thoughts of Sir Rusl's family buoyed her thoughts. The knight and his lady and children were among the brightest stars in the court, and it didn't hurt the princess' mood to remember that Link had more than one ally among the chivalry. The thought of what Colin had asked for as his knighting boon warmed her soul as well.

_Link. It always does come back to him, doesn't it, Malon?_ Zelda thought ruefully. _It looks like I'm going to have to wait after all._ The Sage closed her eyes and let her sense of destiny flow from her mana and her soul. The flows of time felt strong, now, like rivers swollen from rain. _Close. So much is so close. That part was true, at least._ A strange, warm thrill shot through her right hand. _How odd._ A brief flicker of knowing ran through her, and Zelda grimaced a bit. _Farore. I was right._ Had she acted earlier, fate would not have been altered drastically, but now... _I think I would distract him after all. Too late._ She exhaled. _Well, it is less than two days now. I must have faith in him._

Opening her eyes and glancing at the ladybug-adorned book on the table next to her, she nodded to herself. _It isn't as if I won't have more than enough to keep my mind busy between now and then. Three more knightings, counting Colin's, one last war council tomorrow..._ Zelda smiled beatifically. _...and Ruto's wedding. I can't blame them for moving the date up. She's certainly not the only one, considering._ Previous thoughts tried to return, but she dismissed them once more. _Gods, she looks beautiful in her dress. A bit more revealing than Hylian wedding gowns, but that's the Zoras._ Briefly, her mind partly returned to Link. _I wonder who Lulu is._

Zelda jumped at a knock. "Yes?"

Mistress Agitha entered, sighing in relief at the sight of her book. "Your Highness, we still have a little time," she said, hefting her codex lovingly.

"I know, Agitha," the princess replied, taking a slow breath. "Just collecting my thoughts, such as they are."

Agitha giggled in her girlish way. "Oh, now, Your Highness, everyone here knows you've the finest mind in Hyrule."

Zelda smiled politely and nodded a bow. _Let's hope so, Agitha, for all our sakes._


	15. Part 2, Ch 3: Requiem for the Past

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Three: Requiem for the Past**

#Hey, lazy!# Navi 'pathed, bouncing on the Hero's head enthusiastically.

"Wh..." Link groaned and tried to wave the fairy off, but she was too fast, especially in his current state of mostly not awake. "...grmr...navi..." He waved more emphatically, getting only giggles and swirling light for his trouble. "...still dark..." he mumbled, opening one eye to confirm that his cot and chest were still covered in shadows. _Ordinary shadows,_ he thought suddenly, sleep shivering away in a ripple of cold that had nothing to do with the pre-dawn chill.

#You told me to wake you up before dawn, Mr. Important Hero!# Navi pointed out firmly, appearing in front of his nose. #Get a jump on the big day, remember?#

"Farore," Link hissed. Navi was right. _Thank the gods Ruto and Mikali are saving the reception for...after._ He sat up and regarded his small guardsman's room woozily. His head still spun a bit remembering the celebration, brief as necessity had made it. Ruto had danced with nearly everyone, finding time for several with the groom all the same, and had spun him enthusiastically when it had been his turn. _Then again,_ he thought, swallowing, _that dance with Zelda made me dizzier._ His memory flickered to Lake Hylia, and the look in her eyes. Zel had seemed to want to say something, but at the end of the dance she'd curtsied and backed away without a word.

"Sakon," Link sighed.

"Din sear him, the big jerk," Navi said emphatically, bobbing wildly in the air.

Link looked at her blearily as he stood, running his fingers through his hair. "What? He's dead."

"So I can't still be mad at him?" Navi shot back.

"Well, I guess so, but why bother? He can't hurt anyone now."

The fairy stared at him for a moment. "Um...okay, then what does Sakon have to do with anything?"

"Remember the way Zelda looked at Ruto's wedding?" Link explained.

Navi nodded wisely. "Ahhh. Sounds like someone can't catch a break."

The Hero blinked. "...never mind, I don't want to know." He waved wildly in the air while Navi giggled again, then kicked open his chest and pulled out his tunic and white mail. Lightly armored with almost invisible scales, the shirt and 'tights' shimmered in the proper light. Strapping on his shield, he briefly considered the Great Fairy's Sword, then slowly closed the chest. _Well. Here goes nothing._

Impa was waiting for him when he opened the door. "Think you could sneak past the Sheikah, pup?" she said. A mundane observer wouldn't have heard anything but her usual even tone, but Link caught the dry humor threaded in her voice.

"You haven't called me 'pup' in a while, _sensei._ Feeling nostalgic?" He grinned broadly at her, rubbing the back of his neck innocently.

"Farore," Zelda breathed. Link jumped slightly; she _was_ Zelda, there in the dark, in her pink and white dress with the golden plates, yet he hadn't sensed her presence. _You weren't exactly looking for her, were you?_ She looked the Hero over, smoothing her face with obvious effort. "Are you...well?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Link replied softly. _That should answer the question she was really asking, I hope,_ he added to himself.

"As for nostalgia," Impa said, an ironic tone seeping in, "today everything ends and begins again. You of all people should know that, Hero of Time."

"Light and Time, Impa, I'm nervous enough as it is without you getting all portent...y...on me." He breathed heavily, then nodded. "And for the record, I wasn't trying to sneak out on you." Link grinned again. "For that, I would have used the window."

"So obvious?" Impa raised an eyebrow. "What of your Sheikah training, or the Ocarina?" They began walking toward the drawbridge.

"You would have sensed those," Link replied jauntily, though he kept his voice down for the sake of those still sleeping. "With the window, I would have at least had a chance."

"Din, Nayru and Farore," Zelda breathed, "how can you two be so calm?"

Link swallowed. They rounded a corner, the corridor leading to the drawbridge stretching before them. Great portraits loomed over the trio, and numerous suits of armor were lined up in both directions. "Zel, it's either this, or curl up into a ball on my cot and try to pretend I don't have to do this." He clenched his fist, which trembled beside him. _And I do have to do this, don't I?_ The Hero worried at his lower lip with one tooth. "I haven't been this nervous since before the Water Temple."

To the Hero's amazement, Zelda blushed. "I - I'm sorry," she said, quiet even for a whisper.

"Farore, Zel, you don't have anything to apologize for," he whispered back. Link fixed the portcullis ahead with as much resolve as he could muster. "Let's just...head for the Temple. I'm sure I can procrastinate our way there until dawn."

"Then you won't mind some company, I take it, Master Link?" a friendly voice asked. Link turned, Zelda smiling indulgently before he saw the figure behind them.

"Senza!" Link called, wincing as his voice echoed in the hallway. "Sorry."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Sir Zuko replied, coming around his bulky partner. "Can't be more than a third of the castle still asleep by now, what with everyone expecting the moon to fall down on us or something."

Link winced. "Let's pray it doesn't come to that," he said fervently. Then he looked up, and immediately wished he hadn't. They were at the gate. "There's really no way to do this quietly, is there?" he noted, praying that there wasn't any hope in his voice.

"Ye of little faith," Zuko chuckled. "This is Hyrule." He glanced at the Hero with sardonic amusement. "What, you never came in the drawbridge?"

"Of course I have," the Hero retorted defensively. "Just not right at sunrise."

Navi giggled. "Or an hour after sunrise, or two, or..."

#Navi, do you mind?# Link 'pathed in frustration.

#Not usually, no,# she quipped back.

#Of course not. Why should today be any different?# The Hero sighed heavily. "So we can get through?"

Zelda nodded and gestured at the winch, which turned itself. The portcullis went up and the bridge went down simultaneously, and all but silently. Link nodded, swallowing the butterflies that kept trying to fly up into his throat, and strode forward.

The hoped-for 'procrastination' never materialized. Senza and Zuko bantered, of course, but Link had long since learned to tune out anything that was neither interesting philosophy nor juicy gossip, and their discussion was almost entirely professional. Still, Link took his time, and none of the ladies with him seemed in any hurry either. To his surprise (and chagrin), even Navi had nothing to say during their descent into the city. Dawn slowly shed its light over Hyrule, which left the Temple of Time surrounded in a halo of sunlight when they reached it. The awe-inspiring effect wasn't quite ruined by the soldiers, knights and war sorcerers scattered strategically throughout the city. Link swallowed.

"Link, wait," Zelda said suddenly, grabbing his arm. Her touch was light, but Darunia's grip wouldn't have held him as well. "Um...here." She released him, then quickly placed a small blue ring in his palm, blushing. Link looked at it for a long moment, then memory struck him all at once. This had been in his ear when he emerged from his enchanted sleep last time. "Happy birthday."

"Gods..." he breathed. "Where did you get this?"

"She made it," Impa said, earning a shocked look and a bright blush from the Princess of Destiny, "with a combination of wizardry and sheer determination."

"It will pass through your ear painlessly," Zelda muttered, looking down, eyes flickering everywhere but towards him. Link turned his gape from the ring to the princess. Her own earrings, tiny Triforce symbols, swayed gently with her scattered motions. "I don't know if you remember, or even knew last time, but it's...a symbol of maturity. Most Hylians don't get one until they're 27, but the gods saw fit to give you one ten years early last time, and gods know you've been through enough..."

Link gently took her hand. "Thank you, Zelda." Their eyes met, and his soul fell into them. _Those eyes._

#Kiss her, you idiot!# Navi finally blurted.

Stumbling backwards half a step, Link realized that they'd been staring at each other for several seconds. All the nearby guards were finding the rooftops endlessly interesting, Senza and Zuko were looking pointedly away, and Impa...Impa was staring right at them with a shamelessly calculating look. The heat in his face spread to the very tips of his ears. He swallowed and clamped the ring on quickly. As promised, there was no pain; indeed, he felt a faint pulse of mana, as if the ring were becoming a part of him. _I suppose it is,_ he thought, endlessly pleased by the notion. "Well. Let's do this." In his mind, Navi sighed pointedly.

Zelda, eyes locked firmly on the Temple, nodded emphatically. The small group headed toward the legendary gateway to the Sacred Realm, Senza and Zuko taking positions with the four knights already on duty there. _Ashei, Rusl and Colin,_ Link thought, recognizing them as soon as they came into view. He didn't recognize the fourth, but the last knight was undoubtedly a friend of Rusl's. _This can't be coincidence._ He waved, and Ashei chuckled and waved back. Rusl nodded in something of a bow, and his eyes twinkled as if he knew something Link didn't. Colin just smiled shyly, the light, fantastically strong armor of the Hylian knights fitting him surprisingly well.

Before he could let himself think about it too much, Link strode through the doors, Navi on his shoulder, Zelda and Impa directly behind him.

Waiting for him were Darunia, Saria and Ruto, each holding one of the Spiritual Stones. Darunia was grinning broadly in contrast to Saria's gentle smile, and his foot was tapping merrily. Ruto's gaze was distant until she realized the others had entered. "Oh. Um, yeah," Link said, rubbing the back of his neck. Zelda coughed. "I guess we would need the Spiritual Stones now, huh?"

"A rather important detail to forget, eh, Brother?" Darunia laughed. "You needn't fear Ganondorf this time, Link - nearly all the Sages stand with you now, and each of us brought warriors of our own." He smiled down at Saria. "The Forest Sage's allies are rather unusual, but they do seem effective."

"A Skull Kid came, with a set of puppets he can make move with his music," Saria explained, looking at the ceiling, "and this pack of wolves just followed us no matter what we did." Impa glanced meaningfully at Link. "Mido's working on something, too, but he's still back in the forest."

Darunia nodded. "Nabooru would be here as well if she had the ability to return to her people instantly, as we do," he added.

Link looked at Ruto with curiosity. Ruto smiled sheepishly. "The Stones are tied to their realms and elements. That's how I..." She tried to glare at him, but her chagrin ruined the effect. "Come on, I was ten."

"It's all right, Ruto. Light and Time, it was all right back then." Her smile returned, grateful this time. Then the Hero's attention turned entirely to Saria. "You okay?"

Saria smiled beatifically at him. "I'm a Sage. I can be outside for a while, sometimes. Besides, the Stone sustains me as long as I'm close." She giggled. "You should have seen it. The Sprout grew it out of a branch - like a fruit!"

Impulsively, Link hugged the Forest Sage. "It's good to see you," he whispered.

"Same here," she replied, returning the hug fondly. "You're going to be fine."

Link let her go, straightened, took a deep breath, and finally nodded. "I'm ready."

"Then let the way be opened!" Darunia bellowed dramatically, holding up his hands. Ruto and Saria followed suit, and all three Spiritual Stones floated into the air. _It's as beautiful as I remember,_ Link realized, the three divine jewels floating up, then into place over the altar.

The Triforce symbol above them glowed golden. The great wall rumbled and slid away. There, the ever-present shaft of light illuminating it, was the Master Sword. It almost felt like it was calling to him, a chant whispering in the background as the blade reflected dawn's light toward him. _That's impossible, the angle's all wrong,_ his logical side thought, but the rest of him ignored it, walking almost in a trance towards the Blade of Evil's Bane.

At the threshold to the Pedestal chamber, however, he realized what he was doing and stopped cold. "Farore," he breathed. He turned halfway around, stopping in surprise when he realized Colin was there. "Wh - Sir Colin?"

"My boon," Colin said, quiet determination writ large across him. "I'm going to fight by your side, Master Link."

Link looked at the Sword with all the determination he could muster. "I know, Colin, but some battles we must fight alone." He took a deep breath and strode in, walking straight up to the Pedestal of Time before he could change his mind. He looked down at the great Blade, remembering how gigantic it had seemed the first time he'd seen it. _Even now, though, it dominates the whole room._ He reached out his hand, then some instinct made him waver.

#What's wrong, Link?# Navi asked with concern, landing on his shoulder and stroking his neck with her almost microscopic hand.

Link glanced behind him. Zelda was there, watching him, hands clasped together almost in prayer. The deja vu was almost overwhelming. The others stood behind the princess, watching intently. #I thought I felt...# He took one more deep breath and faced the Blade again. #It doesn't matter.# He smiled at Navi. #No matter what else happens, I won't be alone.#

#Not a chance,# Navi replied.

Whipping his arm around, he grasped the Master Sword before he could think about it again. _Whew._ The world didn't stop. Time didn't swirl around him. Meanwhile, the Master Sword's power flowed through him as it always had. The Hero felt stronger and faster instantly. Most importantly, he knew it had accepted him. With a grin, he began to lift the Blade.

Everything happened at once. The Temple rang like a gong, and Time itself flickered and shifted, howling in protest. Link could almost see the Sacred Realm as if through a spyglass, and it rippled like air above a fire. Behind him, Zelda screamed. Link tried to move, to turn, but it was like his whole body was shod in metal heavier than the Iron Boots. Outside, the sky itself seemed to roar with a familiar sound - battle. Something akin to Dark Fire flickered around him. With a burst of horror, he realized the foul energies were, impossibly, coming from the _Master Sword itself._

The Blade was cursed after all. Somehow, the forces of the Evil Realm had managed to bypass even the Master Sword's Power to Repel Evil and doom it to turn against the Hero in some way. _Against me._ When he'd been ten, the curse had tricked the Sword's defenses into leaving him in limbo for seven years; now that Destiny had decreed him old enough to wield the Blade, the evil sorcery had to take direct action.

Hyrule was under attack. Everyone he loved was in unspeakable danger. And Link was trapped in Time itself, helpless in the grip of the Master Sword and the Pedestal of Time. _No. NO! I can't let this happen. I can't!_

All of Castle Town shuddered under the assault of some terrible sorcerous power. Somewhere far away, a deep, terrible voice laughed. #You can do nothing about it, boy. Though I can hold you only for days instead of years, it will be enough. You will emerge from my grip to see not the shreds of tattered hope, but its very end!# The "voice" was like Ganondorf's but deeper, like Ganon's but clearer. Link's blood froze.

_Mandrag. Gods help me._

#Even they cannot help you now, boy...#

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"Something's wrong," Zelda muttered. Link had taken the Blade in hand, but not yet lifted it. _Why? What did he sense?_ The Sage of Time felt it too, a foreboding, a sense of something terrible hanging over them all, waiting to strike. Worst of all, the foulest of the feeling seemed to emanate from the Pedestal of Time itself.

On the other hand, she felt a sudden wave of confidence emanate from the Hero. _Well of _course_ it accepted you,_ she thought, letting a trickle of exasperation through the Mind Kata.

Then he tried to lift it free.

A wave of power struck the walls of the city. Zelda could feel the corrupted mana flux, more power than she had ever sensed before, hammer into Castle Town's magical defenses. She screamed reflexively, almost in pain. Even that, however, paled into comparison to the shockwave that raged through her own body. In the same instant, she felt something at once alien and familiar emerge within her. A golden glow shone from her hand.

She looked at the Triforce symbol in horror. _Wisdom._ As glorious as the Triforce element itself felt, even without the insight it provided Zelda would have known instantly what its appearance meant. If she'd needed the confirmation, the insane amount of mana necessary to summon their attackers would have provided it. _Ganondorf has the Triforce of Power. Gods be good._ Looking up at the Pedestal, what she saw seemed even worse - Link, indeed the entire Master Sword chamber, was in a field of altered Time. She could feel his mind racing at its normal rate, but his body was stuck moving less than a hundredth of their speed. Fortunately, any attack on him would be slowed by the Time field as well, but it meant that whatever they now faced, they would have to face it without the Hero.

Laughter echoed across the city. It was sadistic and evil, yet it was neither Ganondorf nor Kotake. Somehow, it sounded familiar all the same. "Colin, stay here," she ordered. Colin saluted and stepped in front of the opening, looking ready to hold off the King of Evil himself if need be. When she turned to the Sages, she realized with growing horror that they were seeing something far off. "Your lands," she said, sickening comprehension driving home. "They're under attack as well."

Ruto nodded. "Forgive us, Zelda, but-"

"I understand," Zelda said quickly. "Go."

"Rest assured," Darunia said, the magic swirling around all three, "we shall return as soon as we are able!" Then they vanished, leaving the Stones floating in place.

Zelda grimaced. _With the Spiritual Stones here, though,_ she thought darkly, _it will take you far longer to return than it did for you to leave._ "Impa, Senza, Zuko, come!" Every step away from Link made the princess shudder, the thought of leaving him so vulnerable almost painful. _I know my duty,_ she thought firmly, _and besides, this is the best way for me to help everyone, Link included._ She threw the doors open, for once relieved to see General Onox. He stood on the wall above the already-closing drawbridge, shouting orders and throwing siege ladders off with his bare hands. Her father was already running towards her, both war room and decorum apparently forgotten, and the knights at the doors were starting to join her. "No, Ashei, Rusl, stay here," she ordered immediately. "If the Temple falls, we fall with it."

"Zelda, thank the gods you're all-" King Daphnes was cut off by another burst of power. The ground itself shook, and all of them had to make an effort to stay on their feet. "Come. You must return to the palace at once."

"With all due respect, father, you must be joking." Zelda strode towards the city walls.

"I hate that phrase," Daphnes muttered. "Zelda, that was not a..." he trailed off. Zelda didn't have to guess why. She looked up at the same time the others did.

A man with lavender hair covering one eye, the visible one as red as a Sheikah's, wearing a robe, cape and Kokiri-style cap all a shade darker than his hair, floated above Onox and laughed again. Zelda realized in shock that she knew him. _Vaati._ He threw his arms into the air, and the wind itself flowed at his command. "Zelda!" he called out, grinning maliciously. "You cannot hide from me!"

"Who's hiding?" she growled, striding into the square. Her eyes locked onto the guard room. _Better safe,_ she thought, _and besides, Senza and Zuko can't levitate._

"Impa, aren't you going to stop her?" Daphnes demanded.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," Impa replied, and Zelda swore she heard a faint tinge of humor in her tone, "I rather doubt I could. Besides, you have felt Vaati's might. Can any other wizard of Hyrule match him?" She heard her father grumble furiously, but nothing coherent came out. Senza and Zuko, as always, followed her obediently. Impa crossed through a shadow and vanished. Zelda grinned at that. Her smile vanished when a trio of Wolfos dropped down from the wall. She dispatched them with quick streams of Din's Fire, then entered the guard house.

"Y-Your Highness!" the guard within saluted, shoving some pots aside with his foot. "How may I serve you?"

"Open the door to the stairs, then move." Zelda didn't slow down. The guard hesitated, then unlocked the door quickly and bolted out of her way. She took the stairs two at a time, then threw the trap door open.

The wall was a boiling mass of blood and death like the Evil Realm incarnate. Guards and knights fought horrors ranging from keese to Stalfos, with mages of all kinds trading spells with floating bird-men. Vaati rose above them all and laughed. "Watch my back," she told her bodyguards, then forced her stomach to grow still and strode purposefully across the wall-walk. Blasts of raw power obliterated a handful of foes. She smiled coldly at one of the regenerating Stalfos - she'd learned to recognize them by their differing blades - and teleported a bomb into its rib cage. It looked down in surprise, then exploded much to Zelda's satisfaction.

Finally, she reached Onox just as Vaati knocked him over with a burst of Dark Fire. The evil sorcerer gathered lightning in his hand to finish the general, but stared at Zelda in amazement when she summoned her Light Bow. "That's enough!"

"Heh heh heh...how fortuitous," Vaati replied in a silky tone. _To think, that voice used to give me shivers,_ Zelda thought coolly. "I come across space and time seeking you, my beloved Zelda, and here you are, handing yourself to me."

"You love nothing but power, you slime," Zelda said, voice colder than the mountain wastes, "and you will not enjoy being handed what I have to offer." She drew the bowstring to its limit, aiming the Light Arrow directly between his eyes. Vaati's smile vanished, and he summoned lightning into one hand and fire in the other. Zelda smiled at him then, a smile as cold as her voice. "This time, I'm no innocent girl barely out of childhood."

"Where's your Hero, princess?" he asked then, mocking her with tone and stance alike. Zelda didn't move, mentally thanking Impa fervently for her Sheikah training, but she had desperately wanted to shiver in that moment. "Having a bit of trouble with the _Master_ Sword?"

"He drew you from the past..." Zelda whispered. Her aim never wavered. Senza and Zuko cleared out a few overly friendly Wolfos in skilled, workmanlike fashion. Shadows grew familiar arms and slew menaces of every stripe. Incongruously, she grinned again. "You're working for Ganondorf? You always were pathetic, Vaati, but at least you used to be your own man." Vaati's eyes (or at least eye) widened, and he quivered in outraged fury. "Oh, and if you want me, you're out of luck, even if you win. Dragmire has his own plans for me, and he - doesn't - share."

Vaati's rage vanished as quickly as it came, and he smiled again, hungry and possessive. That smile sent a brief wave of fear through her. "He wants that idiotic triangle, my princess. I'll keep you alive through the...extraction process. After that, I get what I want."

She turned her aim to his heart at the last second, then loosed her shot. He blocked the blast with a grunt and an orb of Dark Fire, the orb's destruction revealing a floating Beamos eye. Zelda fired again, and he gritted his teeth as the eye exploded in a burst of mana. "You never were very imaginative," she quipped, slinging the bow over her shoulder and floating into the air, power swirling around her. "And for the record, I belong to someone else!" She released her power as near-solid light, he fired back with wind and lightning, and their magics struck with the force of a thousand hammers.

"You're...you're no match for me..." Vaati croaked. His entire body elongated, neck stretching impossibly, and a horned crown grew from his brow. His robes lengthened, flowing around his body, but growing tattered before they had even finished transforming.

"Funny," Zelda said, forcing herself not to pant with effort, "I was about to say the same thing." She gritted her teeth and bent still more mana to her will. _This isn't working. We're too evenly matched in conjuration._ After a moment's thought, she shifted to defense. _Time to change the rules._ With a burst of will, she engaged Vaati on the psychic plane.

_By the gods. What a mess._ Zelda tore at the evil sorcerer's mind. His mental defenses were formidable, but between her natural talent, Sheikah training and the Triforce of Wisdom, she advanced quickly. Astral walls shattered, traps broke on her shields, and bursts of pain and hate simply flowed through her as if she were a ghost. _I could almost pity him._ A wave of desire rippled through his mind, and Zelda forced her breakfast back into her stomach. _Then again..._

#You will not defeat me thus! I will not allow it!# Vaati raged, turning his own energies inward to hold her off. She merely began her physical assault anew, and the wind mage was forced to divide his attention more fully.

#Oh no? Do you still dismiss the creation of the gods as an 'idiotic triangle,' blasphemer?# Zelda 'pathed with grim satisfaction, pressing on easily.

Suddenly her body lurched, and she returned to the physical world with a disorienting snap. She looked up, the world spinning at a sickening angle, to see Zuko gripping her hair, a horrified look on his face and his sword poised over her body. He trembled, clearly resisting, but a tiny symbol of the Triforce glowed on his brow, the topmost triangle glowing the brightest. _Ganondorf!_ Zelda twisted in his grip, desperately holding off Vaati with energy from one hand while grabbing Zuko's wrist with the other. "It's not you, Zuko! Fight it!"

"He does," Vaati laughed, "but it will not be enough to save you." He formed a cruelly barbed lance of Dark Fire in one hand. "You will be mine!" He threw the spear, which carved through her wavering flow of power.

Senza appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and stepped between the weapon and its target. Zelda couldn't scream - she couldn't even breathe - when she saw it carve away half his chest. Vaati and Zuko howled in unison, and Zelda took the moment to drive the evil sorcery from Zuko's mind. The knight fell to his knees by his old partner's side. "Senza! Din, Senza!" Zuko cried.

Senza smiled up at the Sage. "It's been an honor, Little Princess." He closed his eyes, head rolling backwards. A fairy swirled around his body, and a moment of hope filled Zelda, but the pink figure looked at the ruined body sadly and shot over to another wounded knight.

Zelda stood and whirled on a smirking Vaati. His smirk vanished, and fear filled his eyes. _Too late, monster. Nayru forgive me, Senza, too late._ Power surged around her, and almost as an afterthought she bolstered the wards around the city. "No more rescues from Ganondorf, wind mage. No more innocents will you slaughter today." Golden fire exploded around her, washing over Zuko harmlessly even as it consumed the creatures of Dark Fire. Zuko himself trailed the edge of her magical flame, destroying enemies in his wake, grief and rage almost palpable around the knight.

Vaati threw up shields and summoned Beamos eyes, for all the good it did him. Her power shot out like a tidal wave of Light and wrath, astral needle-blades tearing into his aura even as her magic devastated his body, and somewhere within it she thought she heard him scream. Vaati disappeared, and Zelda fell to her knees, spent, panting, weeping. _Senza._ She remembered riding on his shoulders, climbing the great warrior like a mountain, listening to him sing, amazed at the gentle tenor of his voice.

Something dark and cruel rose from the rapidly diminishing invasion force. The air churned wildly across half the city and almost to Lon Lon Ranch. Zelda looked up and saw a great black orb with a single, maddened eye, claws growing from long, tentacle-like arms that sprang from each side. A wild blast from its lone inhuman orb fired into the city, and the princess forced herself to ignore the explosion she heard behind her. Grimly, she rose, summoning her Light Bow again. _Come for it then!_ she thought, hair whipping madly in the wind. _I'll be happy to send you back where you belong!_

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

Link was still in the process of gritting his teeth. They had not quite met, but his jaw continued on with determination. _I wonder if going mad feels like this,_ the Hero wondered with a calm that amazed him.

#Oh no. There's much more wailing and gnashing of teeth. I invented that, you know, the wailing and gnashing. Quite the stress reliever after a few aeons,# Mandrag 'pathed with sadistic amusement.

#Shut up, you,# Link shot back, turning his will grimly on the power filling the room. Dark Fire swirled everywhere, a thin and translucent but ever-growing miasma of horror.

#Yeah, we're busy here,# Navi added, throwing her own will and magic behind Link's. Her wings were all but trapped in mid-flutter, but her mind moved in time with the Hero's.

Mandrag chuckled. #Indeed. Busy going mad, it would seem,# he replied dryly.

#Ignore him, he's just trying to confuse us,# Navi 'pathed to Link.

Link wanted to nod, but his head wouldn't move. Ignoring his bizarre physical plight, he focused on the Sword. _Power to Repel Evil, Power to Repel Evil, come on, start repelling already,_ he thought desperately. The Hero threw his mana into the Blade, trying to bolster its natural ability. He tried driving the Dark Fire away himself. Frozen, he couldn't cast any of his spells, and even if Shadow-sliding through the dark magic didn't burn his very spirit, it certainly wouldn't take the Master Sword with him, still largely in the Pedestal as it was. _It's out enough to let the Triforce through and mess up Time itself, though,_ he thought furiously. The Triforce of Courage pulsed fiercely on his hand, apparently unaffected by the curse.

_The Triforce!_ Link turned his attention to the shard that had rested within him through the years. _Of course! Come on, Farore!_ He poured all his determination, his need, his will to survive and protect his friends into the divine shard. The Dark Fire shuddered, but held.

#That won't work, boy,# Mandrag said with a deep chuckle. #Your insignificant piece of the Triforce pales in comparison to my might.# In his mind, a black, inverted triangle, ever-hungry and all-consuming, appeared in the center of an image of the Triforce.

#A false image for a false god, _Mandrag,#_ Link retorted furiously, trying to increase the Triforce's effect. Nothing happened. _What am I doing wrong?_ Link thought desperately. Navi would have been in tears, if she could cry. The fairy was out of ideas as well.

Mandrag's ironic chuckling grew more forceful. #Mandrag _Ganon,_ if you please.# Link's mind rung in shock. #Indeed. Ganondorf is merely the greatest and most terrible of my pawns. Why did you think Din held out so much hope for him? She thought she held my heart once as well, but not every legend is as true as you might think.#

Link gasped mentally. #Nayru. You weren't in love with Din, you were just using her. You wanted Nayru...that's why you're always after - HNNG!# The Hero redoubled his efforts with the Master Sword. _Nothing. Farore, help me!_

Mandrag Ganon laughed outright. #You think you are any match for me, boy? How many times must I crush your hope before you finally admit the inevitable? Eventually you will fail, and both the Triforce and Nayru will be _mine!_ Zelda is no more than a pawn, just like the rest of you, yet she will be my conduit all the same. As for you...Farore has abandoned you. The Goddess of Courage, pah! She's a coward!#

#I don't believe you!# Link roared in fury. #I have faith in the gods, and they have faith in me!#

Suddenly the Triforce shone like the sun, and all at once Link understood. _I'm not supposed to give power to it. I'm supposed to let it into me!_ Mandrag recoiled in terror, and Link forced his fear of the artifacts that had ruled his life for so long aside. In a single act of bravery, Courage was his.

The miasma burned away. The field of warped Time vanished. The Master Sword all but flew from the Pedestal of Time and glowed in his hand. #No! It's not possible!# Something fled from the edge of reality itself, plummeting away. #I won't be _his_ pawn again! I won't - AAGH!# Mandrag cried. Then he was gone.

_Ganondorf,_ Link realized with sick horror. _'Ganon' wasn't Mandrag possessing the King of Evil. That was Ganondorf bending Mandrag to his will. Gods be good._ He shook his head clear, then turned to see Colin running towards him. _They need me._ #Navi, you ready?#

#You're kidding, right?# Much to the Hero's relief, Navi was circling him once more, wings humming like mad.

Colin reached him, looking up with a mix of concern and admiration. He reached out timidly, then pulled his hand back. "M-Master Link?"

Link nodded. "Let's go, Colin." He ran out of the Pedestal chamber, worried at the absence of the Sages but not surprised. From there, he dashed out of the Temple and towards the square. Ashei and Rusl were dealing with a pack of Wolfos. Link finished off one, killed a second that leaped at him, then stopped and turned. The attackers were all dead. "Zelda?" he asked.

"She went to..." Rusl trailed off, looking past Link to stare with widened eyes above the city walls. Link followed his gaze, only to see a monstrous giant black eyeball rising to stare balefully at the defenders. A golden glow rose up to defy it. _Zelda,_ Link realized. He bolted again, running faster than he ever had. The others followed.

Then the world erupted, spinning and bursting with fiery light. The Hero managed to land in a crouch, and looking around, discovered to his relief that the others were also unhurt. When he glanced behind him, though, his heart clenched with pain. _The Temple,_ he thought, breath catching. After surviving seven years of Ganondorf's rule 'there' and seven of resisting him 'here,' it was covered in smoke, chunks of its roof sticking out of houses and road all around them. He shook his head clear. _Farore. I can't worry about that right now._

When he came within sight of the battle, Zelda was rolling away from a swiping claw. The other was rearing back. #Navi!# he thought desperately. The fairy obeyed, flying into place above the monster's readied talons, and Link pulled out his Hookshot. With dearly-bought patience, he held his fire until the creature swung. That brought its arm into range, and Link fired. The monster paused, staring at the tiny yellow glow over its claw, then it ululated with a strange cry as the hook struck home. Link flew up to it and slashed furiously with the Master Sword. "Get - away - from - ZELDA!" he roared, slicing the creature's arm away up almost to the body before it floated out of range. He stumbled over a body. "Sorry, friend," he whispered, then looked down and paled. _Senza. Oh, gods, forgive me._ Grimly, he forced himself to turn his attention back to the monster. "Zelda, you okay?"

"Here," she all but growled, and a ball of fire and lightning appeared above her outstretched hands. The princess threw it, and the burst exploded into the nightmare, ripping it into shards of Dark Fire. That, in turn, vanished in the morning light. "Does that answer your question..." she looked at him as if for the first time, then smiled through streaming tears. "Link. Oh, Link, you did it."

"Not soon enough," he muttered, "but yeah." He held up the Sword. "It's clean, now. Well, maybe the Pedestal is. Whatever it was, it's gone now." The Hero looked out past the moat. "The Temple got hit, but everyone's okay," he told her, and Zelda nodded with a sigh. Together, they watched the remains of the invasion force flee into Hyrule Field. "Looks like that took the fight out of them..." his gaze followed them into the distance. He gasped in horror. "Lon Lon..."

"Go!" Zelda commanded. Link didn't need to be told twice. He leaped off the wall, rolling as he landed to cushion the blow, then stood and played Epona's Song.

Colin floated beside him - _Zelda, no doubt_ - just before Epona appeared from the west. He mounted the great horse, held his hand out to Colin to help him up, then spurred the mare. "Hyah!" he cried, eyes locked on the ranch. There were fires around the small fortress, but none yet burning the palisade. _Thank Din._ Epona ran like lightning, eating up the distance between Castle Town and Lon Lon in a matter of minutes.

That, however, was enough for the surviving monsters to bring the great wooden doors down. The monsters streamed in, but Link and Colin were right behind them, Link firing Ice Arrows and Colin swinging his sword expertly. Ingo was screaming shrilly and fleeing while Malon trembled, using a pitchfork to barely holding off a pair of surprisingly small Moblins, thought they still towered over the farm girl.

Talon was the real surprise. He had created a makeshift truncheon out of some old handle and was smashing expertly through the Wolfos. Link leaped off Epona and carved his way through the assault, the Master Sword feeling incredibly comfortable in his hand. _Seven years, and it might as well have been yesterday._ He spared Talon a quick glance as he fought towards the rancher's daughter. "You know what you're doing."

"Five years in the guard," Talon replied evenly. "Saw action in the war. Quit when I met Malon's mother. Come on, she needs us!"

Link nodded grimly and forced his way through. One of the Moblins took the pitchfork in his shoulder, then caught it in one beefy hand and broke it with a flex of his powerful fingers. Malon screamed in terror. _Farore, no!_ Link took a slash from a Stalfos to finish it off, the Power to Repel Evil sending it back to the abyss with a final slash. Just as the Moblin grabbed the redhead, he sliced off its arm at the elbow, then drove the Master Sword through its head to another powerful feeling of deja vu. The remaining Moblin grunted and threw himself at Link, who flew back a few steps even with his shield up. The Moblin turned on Malon, who had been trying to slide away across the wall, and charged.

Colin appeared between them with Sheikah-like speed and silence, driving his blade into the monster's foul heart. It vanished in a burst of Dark Fire, leaving a slight dark stain on the knight's gleaming plates. He turned, moving to stand between Malon and the remaining invaders, but the living ones took one look at the Hero and fled. Link chuckled and played the Sun's Song, paralyzing the ReDead, and that left short work for the rest.

Once the last undead monster was put to rest, Link turned and scanned the others, looking Malon and Ingo over carefully. "Everyone all right?"

Ingo stood up from behind his crate, took two wobbling steps, then collapsed. The Hero froze for a moment, then saw that the ranch hand was unhurt. _He fainted,_ Link realized, swallowing a chuckle. Then he saw Malon, still pressed against the wall, trembling. "Malon?"

"You...you do this...all the time?" Malon whispered. "You...this is that life you've been talking about all these years?" Link pressed his lips together and looked away. _Malon...I never wanted you to have to see this._

Sir Colin walked up to the young lady, bowed on one knee, and kissed her hand politely. "It is an honor, my lady," he said formally, "for such as we to defend the noble and innocent."

Malon stared back at him in shock. Link's good humor returned. _Oh, Colin, you're done,_ he thought, not quite suppressing the chuckle that time. "You..." Malon whispered again. "You saved my life. You jumped between me and - and a Moblin. A _Moblin."_ Colin stood, head still slightly bowed in respect, and started to reply. Malon cut him off by grabbing the top of his breastplate, pulling him to her, and kissing him passionately.

"Well, all's well that ends well, right, Link?" Talon said boisterously, slapping Link on the back.

The Hero coughed softly. "Let's hope so. Even if this attack's over, though, the war's just begun." He took out the Ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby. #Zel?#

#Link...they're under attack,# Zelda 'pathed, her mental voice faint.

#What...who's under attack?#

#Everyone.# Zelda sent image after terrible image. Nabooru and her tribe were holding off a deadly wizard leading thousands of Lizalfos against the Arbiter's Grounds. The Zoras barely held off a swarm of Tektites, jelly-creatures and Skulltulas led by a cloaked figure in black. The Gorons repelled an assault of bizarre, tentacle-covered shadow-men with horseshoe-like headpieces. As for the Kokiri...

_Deku Scrubs?_ There were quite a few of them, but Mido was openly mocking the invaders while the Kokiri pelted them with, ironically enough, Deku Seeds. _I hate to think it, but the forest will have to wait. Nabooru needs me the most right now._ "Colin, stay here with Talon and Malon until reinforcements arrive from Castle Town. I've got to go."

"But..." Colin looked between Link and Malon, the latter of whom was gripping the knight's arm desperately.

"I know, but with the doors broken, they need someone to stay here." Link looked into Colin's eyes with all the seriousness he could muster. "Please, Colin. I need to know they'll be safe." The young knight nodded reluctantly. The Hero played Requiem of Spirit, and vanished in a swirl of light.

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"Hold the gate! HOLD THE GATE!" Nabooru shouted, just barely making herself heard above the din of battle.

In all her life, the Spirit Sage had never seen so large a force. Had they not held the Spirit Temple, Nabooru was sure they would all be long dead. As it was, the so-called Arbiter's Ground was now _their_ deadly fortress rather than Ganondorf's, and it would have been more than enough against the Lizalfos and Dinolfos charging to their deaths.

The crimson-robed wizard was a far greater problem. With the blue stylized eye on his chest and the scarf-like covering on his face, their seemingly invincible foe was like the embodiment of the Gerudo's sins against the Sheikah come back to haunt them. _Yet he serves Ganondorf,_ Nabooru thought, outraged, _and that makes him the enemy!_ She concentrated, bringing her powers as a Sage to the surface, and repelled another attack. "Ilia!"

The young sorceress fired another burst of power, this time one of lightning, at the evil wizard, but he deflected it with a wave of his hand and laughed. Ilia stumbled back on her prosthetic, but righted herself with an air of determination. "Now what?" Ilia asked. _Good question,_ Nabooru thought, gripping the railing on her balcony in frustration. _I can block this wizard's attacks for a little longer, but nothing seems to hurt -_

Outside, a swirl of orange light descended onto the Triforce platform. The Hero appeared, immediately tearing a hole in the ranks of the Lizalfos. It took him some time, but slowly, Link worked his way towards the Temple. "Ha!" Nabooru laughed when the evil sorcerer deigned to approach again. "The tables turn, wizard!"

"Pah," the mage scoffed, floating away from Nabooru and towards the battlefield. "It took every effort of a far more advanced Hero to barely overcome me, and even then he had to defeat me twice to truly end my reign." Casually blasting away a company of Lizalfos with a bolt of lightning the size of one of the Temple's new pillars, he descended towards the now-clear Hero. "Do you know me, Link, Hero of 'Time?'"

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Link grimaced, impossible memories flickering through his mind. _Zelda?_ He remembered this foul sorcerer sending Zelda away before his very eyes, something that he knew wouldn't happen for more than a thousand years. "I see a name...Agahnim." He bared his teeth. "I see a dead man."

Agahnim laughed. "Oh, so the Hero wishes to play! Very well then, Link. Let us play. Hah!" He threw a blast at the Hero, who dodged and lunged. The Master Sword struck home...and bounced away harmlessly.

_Love of Nayru!_ Link backflipped away from the wizard before he could throw another blast, and watched warily as Agahnim formed the next attack in his hands. An image of Phantom Ganon suddenly flickered into his mind. _The same power!_ He readied the Master Sword, hoping he'd guessed right. _Well, I'll find out soon enough. At least this time I have the Power to Repel Evil._

He was right - the blast rebounded off his sword right into the evil wizard. Agahnim howled and vanished into his own shadow. _Farore. He _is_ Sheikah trained._ With a sudden grin, he activated his Eye and watched the shadow circle flicker around intently. A sudden inspiration struck him. #Navi, target that!# He drew a Light Arrow the moment Navi obeyed. When the circle stopped and grew, Link fired.

Agahnim howled, then the circle shrank again and darted about even faster. Twice more Link fired and struck home, but finally he mistimed a shot and Agahnim reappeared. "GRRAH! You'll pay for that, insipid whelp!" The wizard gestured, and two Sheikah illusions of the villain appeared. The Eye made them translucent to the Hero, but he realized with a sinking feeling that both replicas could fire blasts as well. All three unleashed their power at him, and Link tried firing another Light Arrow after he dodged, but Agahnim blocked it with a contemptuous wave of his hand. "Do not think that will work a second time!"

_So noted._ Link rolled aside, then watched the replicas move. All three Agahnims kept trying to descend into their own shadows, remembering the Light Arrows suddenly and reappearing with jerky swiftness. They moved somewhat clumsily as a result, and Link smiled with grim satisfaction as he watched them follow him mechanically. _You're cheating the effect,_ he realized, seeing the 'strings' Agahnim held his replicas with through the Eye, _half-faking it with magic, and that's going to be your undoing._ He backed away in a straight line until all three were lined up, then stopped and held his ground. "O-ho!" Agahnim laughed, and all three fired their blasts.

Link swung rapidly, knocking all three bursts of power straight back at the wizard. Agahnim roared in fury, then collapsed. Something tried to crawl out of the robes, but Time itself rebelled in outrage. A hole that made the shadows seem bright opened up instead, devouring Agahnim as it grew, then sucked all the lizard-warriors towards it with a strange, unearthly power. Its hunger ignored Link, the Gerudos and even the sand, but the Lizalfos and Dinolfos swirled helplessly as if caught in a tornado. They flew through the tear in Time and vanished into its void.

With an almost audible snap, the hole closed, leaving only the natives. The Gerudos cheered wildly. Nabooru leaped down and all but slammed into Link with a ferocious hug. "By the gods, Hero, I never get tired of seeing your work!" She saw the earring and tapped it lightly with one fingernail. "And a full man to boot. Maybe I should thank you like one?"

He extricated himself from the Spirit Sage carefully. "Been hugging Darunia a lot lately?" he coughed, eliciting more Gerudo laughter. "I'm sorry, Nabooru," he added bleakly, "but this is only one of Ganondorf's offensives."

Nabooru's laughter vanished. "Gods be good. Can we help?"

"They're attacking the Zoras, Gorons and Kokiri, and Lon Lon's vulnerable," he explained quickly, "but the Kokiri are doing okay for now. I'm going to help the Zoras next." With that, he summoned the Ocarina into his hand and played the Prelude of Light, Nabooru listening to the song with surprise.

Link reappeared in the Temple with the familiar swirl, realizing only after he appeared that what he'd done could have been dangerous. Fortunately, while the ceiling was gone, the walls and floor were largely intact, with only one significant break to his left. Most importantly, his Triforce 'landing pad' was untouched, as were the Spiritual Stones. The altar was nearly destroyed, but the enchanted gems weren't even scratched.

The Hero ran to the Spiritual Stone of Water. _I hope this works, or I'll never get there in time._ He grabbed the Stone. #Ruto! Can you pull me through?#

#Link! Thank the gods!# Ruto concentrated, and Link felt like he was caught in a whirlpool.

When he emerged, he saw a battle unlike any he'd witnessed before.

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"Watch the walls!" Ruto cried, dodging a Skulltula's leap, then tore it apart with a fin slash. "Hold that entrance!" She darted forward, matching deeds to words, only to leap back again when the cloaked figure lashed out with his black blade.

"Tch, Ruto," he said, his voice maddeningly familiar but impossible to place, "you think you'd remember you're no match for me. You never told him what happened to you in that other time stream, did you? Why you never rejoined him?"

Ruto shuddered and backpedaled. _No. It's not possible._ She glanced over her shoulder. Mercifully, Link had missed that, incinerating a knot of Tektites and Skulltulas with a single burst of Din's Fire. Mikali, though no warrior, shot Fire Arrows with a heroic determination that made her fall in love with him all over again. The cloaked figure blocked them with a hidden shield, but the strange jelly-things died by the dozen.

Her people fought bravely, and she had expected no less of them, but battling the water-walking Tektites was proving difficult for her subjects. Link, fortunately, was working his way back towards her. _Thank you,_ she thought, shuddering as she remembered how close her father had come to being taken by the Skulltulas.

All at once, the cloaked figure was on top of her, appearing out of her shadow like a Sheikah. With impossible strength, he twisted her arms behind her, and Ruto struggled furiously. "Oh come on, Ruto. You know you didn't want that goody-goody interfering last time."

"Last time," she hissed furiously, "I didn't know what you really were."

"Let her go!" Link roared, voice echoing through the cavern.

The cloaked figure tossed Ruto aside casually. "Okay. I don't know why you care, though. You tossed her aside. Why should you care if I pick her up?"

"Because the lady said 'no,' you scum," Link snarled, eyes narrowing.

"Link, watch out!" Ruto called. "He's-"

The villain threw off his cloak before Ruto could finish. _Din,_ Ruto swore mentally. Link shuddered and recoiled. Dark Link smirked and winked, hefting his mockeries of the Master Sword and Hylian Shield. "The Blade of Hero's Bane," he quipped, pointing his sword at the Hero.

"You're just cold leftovers," Link hissed, sending away his sword and shield and calling forth the Megaton Hammer. "And I know how to put you back into storage."

Dark Link laughed and summoned a Dark Hammer of his own. "Shadow," he said with scornful amusement, gesturing at his own chest. Link gritted his teeth and stepped between Ruto and the corrupt reflection. "Anything you can do, I can do. I'm as strong as you are, and I weigh nothing, so I'm faster. How can you beat me?"

"By doing the one thing you can't - thinking like a Hero," Link shot back with a tone Ruto had never before heard in his voice...hatred. "Ruto, go lead your people. I'll deal with our dim friend here."

Ruto stepped back as the Shadow Link's mocking grin turned into a rictus of hateful rage. "Link, remember, he's not you!" Then she ran. _Coward,_ she thought in disgust at herself.

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_Thank the gods,_ Link thought, relief filling him almost to the point of tears as Ruto retreated to lead her people. "Just you and me now, freak," the Hero spat. Dark Link leaped at him.

Instantly, Link drew his bow and, Navi targeting for him, fired a Light Arrow into his Shadow. The Dark Hammer slowed his Shadow enough that the weapon struck home, and he screamed and vanished into the ground. "Oh, and Navi. Did I mention Navi?" He grinned and drew both sword and shield again. "Looks like that's something else I have that you don't."

"You tell him!" Navi cheered. "Watch out!" she cried suddenly.

Link dodged away from the wall before his Shadow could reform from the flickering darkness, and their blades met. "You're tired," Dark Link hissed, voice almost snake-like. "You're wounded, you've been fighting non-stop for hours, and you're not even done. If you survive me, there's Zant - delightful chap, by the way - and if you live through _that,_ Ganondorf's got something _really_ special planned for you."

"Farore, if he stops attacking my friends, I'll thank him," Link said, pushing his Shadow away. "Din's Fire!" Dark Link's eyes went wide, but the Hero's Time-enhanced speed allowed him to cast the spell before the mockery could escape. Again, the Shadow vanished.

This time, however, Dark Link reappeared in a blur. "Shadow Flame!" he snarled, and a wave of Dark Fire struck Link. "See how you like it, 'Hero!' SEI-YAH!" Link stumbled back, barely blocking the spinning blade with his shield. _Think, Hero, think!_ Blades clanged against one another, and they sidestepped like mirror images, circling in perfect unison. _Love of Nayru, not again. What can I..._ Link's eyes went wide. _Love of...Nayru..._

The Hero smiled almost with joy. "I've got a trick you'll never learn. Nayru's Love!" Dark Link's eyes widened in horror as the azure field formed around Link, and the Hero twirled his blade experimentally. "So, can you fill yourself with Mandrag's hate to protect yourself?"

"That's okay," Dark Link grunted. "Our princess is in another castle." He tried to dive into another shadow.

Link was on him before he'd gone half a step. "YOU!" He stabbed Dark through where his heart would have been if he had one. "WILL!" He slashed the Master Sword across his back, Dark Fire flowing from the wound like blood. "NOT!" Link brought the Blade down on his Shadow's head, just barely missing opening it completely. Dark Link wailed in pain and melted away. Link fell to his knees, panting, then stood up again and charged into battle once more.

It took a while longer, but soon the insect 'army' had been exterminated. Another cheer rose, a few Zoras playing triumphant music on instruments Link recognized from another world after a moment. Mikali hugged him with desperate gratitude, and Ruto laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Remind me never to get on _your_ bad side!"

Link nodded wearily. "Not done yet. Gorons. Excuse me." He brought the Ocarina to his lips and played the Bolero of Fire.

He reappeared in the sweltering heat of Death Mountain. _Farore,_ he thought with a grunt, then gestured to replace his Zora Tunic with his Goron one. As he raced toward the city, he played Zelda's Lullaby almost as an afterthought. #Zel, I just fought Dark Link. I think I killed him, but keep an eye out - he mentioned you.#

Zelda sent back a nod. #You be careful as well, my Hero. I won't have you die on me today.#

Link ran that thought over in his head with curiosity, but dismissed it quickly. There was more than enough trouble ahead for him to worry about.

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"Attack!" Darunia shouted, and the mountain itself rang with his battle cry. Gorons rolled forward in a wave, crushing dozens of strange, shadowy creatures. "We dare not let them enter the city!"

More charged forward, swarming over Gorons they could separate from the unit and infusing their strange energies into them. "Twilight comes," the robed figure approaching the city whispered menacingly. _That helmet reminds me of Onox,_ Darunia thought, grabbing a fresh bomb and throwing it at one of the bizarre winged monsters. All of their assailants lacked heads, instead having oddly shaped plates on their necks. _I wonder if he's related to the 'Gorgon' Link faced in Holodrum._ The Elder Brother of the Gorons waded into battle, fists moving like trip hammers to crush foes unlucky enough not to evade him. _I can ask him later. For now, this villain threatens my people, and I will not allow that!_

"Your twilight, perhaps!" Darunia retorted, almost amused by this odd creature. "The Gorons have been threatened by evil such as yours before, and yet we always live to see a new dawn!"

The monsters surged forward again, seemingly without end. "I come from a twilight that never ends," the strange sorcerer replied in a cool, silky voice. "Soon, I will share it with you."

"Never!" Link shouted, emerging from the entrance to Goron City. He cut down the strange twilight beasts all around him, laboriously carving his way towards the front line. The Hero, typically, ignored the injuries he took in the effort. At last, he reached the Sage and the usurper.

"You," the stranger rumbled, emotion finally echoing in his inhuman voice. "I remember you. The Twilight Princess used you against me."

Darunia chuckled. "Strange way to refer to Zelda. Let us finish this fool, eh, Brother?"

"Be careful!" Link shouted back, fighting his way towards the Fire Sage. "All of the minions Ganondorf's summoned through Time have been powerful, and this villain can't be any different!"

The Fire Sage shrugged and strode towards the invader, but the sorcerer pointed his arm at Darunia and the mighty Goron flew into the rock face above them. "Fool," he whispered with amusement, and Darunia swayed drunkenly in the sorcerer's invisible grip. "You should have listened to the Hero." With a contemptuous wave, he threw Darunia over the side.

"No! NAVI!" Link shouted. Darunia could barely see for all the spinning, but he did catch Navi's glow appear over him. Immediately afterward, something bit lightly into his rocky hide, and he felt himself yanked back to solid ground. He saw massive metallic boots on Link's feet when he landed in front of them. With a clank and a shift of his feet, the Hero once again wore his Hylian boots. _He looks...tired,_ Darunia thought with concern as the world slowly righted itself and the Hero strode resolutely towards their assailant. _Hold on, Brother._

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"Here we go again," Link muttered, facing his foe with a grimace. "So what's your story?"

"I am Zant," he replied evenly, "the rightful King of Twilight."

The Hero blinked at that. "Twilight? As in the Realm?"

"Indeed. You are better informed than Agahnim gave you credit for," Zant said, moving fluidly around the Hero.

Link turned to keep his eyes firmly on the Twili. "Yes, and it cost him."

"You are alone, however," Zant said, and though the helmet hid his face, Link could almost hear the smile in his voice. "You lack the power of the Sacred Beast, and while the Master Sword protects you from my psychic grip, what makes you think that a callow youth such as yourself can defeat he who conquered the Twilight Princess?"

Rage swelled in the Hero. _That's enough._ He glared at Zant, fire burning in his eyes. "One. I'm not alone." Navi appeared over the Twili's head, and Zant looked up in confusion. "Two. I've got a few other tricks up my sleeve." With Navi spotting for him, Link was able to string and fire a Light Arrow almost instantly.

The effect was stunning. Zant screamed, howled and ran around wildly, contorting in what looked like sheer agony. "Farore!" Link gasped, stepping back as the Twili's helmet flew off, revealing an odd, elongated face.

"And if you can call Link 'callow,' buster," Navi added for good measure, "you're even stupider than you look!" #Link, keep shooting!#

Link obeyed, but while the Light Arrows seemed to be hurting the self-styled Twilight King, he suspected he would run out of arrows or mana before Zant fell. When his elastic foe started evading the attacks in spite of Navi's help, Link grimaced, sent the Fairy Bow away, and drew the Master Sword. He dodged rapid-fire energy blasts with less ease than he would have liked, then summoned the Mirror Shield. That, too, had a most salutary effect when Zant howled in frustration at having his own blasts thrown in his face.

Then he leaped out of the way in astonishment when Zant drew twin swords from his voluminous sleeves and started attacking with a wild abandon that seemed entirely untrained. _He's wilder than Sakon,_ Link thought, merely annoyed at first. The Hero managed to hit the evil monarch a couple of times from behind, but that was proving less effective than Link had hoped. Worse, the villain teleported away before he could drive a solid blow home.

When Zant reappeared with an insane cackle, he manifested behind the Hero as a whirling bladed top, throwing Link into the stony face of Death Mountain. Navi gasped and tried to target the monster, but he vanished again. Grimacing, Link stood and watched warily. With his back to the mountain, the Hylian was safe from another ambush. _On the other hand, he's a lot more skilled than he looks._ The weariness reasserted itself in Link's limbs, the Master Sword feeling heavy in his hands. Zant appeared with a cry of mad fury and charged again, Link barely deflecting the Twili's attacks before he vanished once more. _This isn't working._ Even his mind felt slow. _I know I can figure this out..._

Onigami pulsed in his fairy space. It was just a little nudge this time, but confident and assured. Link shoved the thing's hunger aside with more effort than he liked, then tried leaping around Zant when the villain emerged, spinning again. A Deku Nut disoriented the Twili, but he vanished again before the leaden Hero could reach him.

The Twilight King's next appearance was as the slashing, charging thing. Link tried to leap around Zant to hit him from behind, which seemed his best chance at hitting his foe, but a misstep let the Twili reach him first. The impact tore at his chest and sent him flying again. Zant laughed madly and disappeared.

Reluctantly, Link sheathed the Master Sword. _Sear it._ Reaching into fairy space, he grasped the triumphant Fierce Deity Mask. _If anyone can handle Onigami, it's the Gorons._ He spared the Fire Sage a quick look. Darunia was still injured and disoriented, but seemed to be regaining his equilibrium. Meanwhile, the frustrated Navi regarded the Hero with concern. #Link, are you sure about this?# she asked. #I mean, it won't be as bad as putting that thing on in the Hall of Illusion, but Onigami is...he's...#

#My best chance at dealing with this so-called king,# Link replied grimly.

When Zant emerged with a howl, Link thrust the Mask onto his face with a howl of his own. That stopped the Twilight King in his tracks, but Link lost all sight of the world as power swirled around him, consuming his vision. The familiar feeling of power and confidence filled him, and when he could see again, the Hero was Oni Link, the ultimate warrior. "So," Oni said calmly. "You are the fighter who was giving the boy so much trouble."

Zant took a few stumbling steps back. "What magic is this?"

Oni Link laughed. "The magic of a god!" With that, he fired a spinning disc of light at the fool. The effect was even more amazing than that of the Light Arrow. _Well. It seems that Zant is not so much vulnerable to the Power to Repel Evil as he is to mere Light._ The Twilight King screamed in agony and bounced wildly, vanishing again. "Navi."

"Um...uh-huh," the fairy replied, swirling around the battlefield in search of their insane target. _There are those who need fear me,_ the demigod thought with mild annoyance. _Navi is not one of them._ "Watch out!" she cried, appearing over Zant as the Twili appeared.

"Too easy," Oni Link laughed, diving at the Hero's enemy. He took a slight blow, but the would-be conqueror had already taken many wounds of his own, and the might of his Helix Sword clove through his prey, turning Zant into a spiraling vortex of shadow and dim blue light. The bizarre headpieces swirled into the vortex, turning the monsters into dizzy bird-creatures and peaceful, deeply confused-looking humanoids. The Fierce Deity stepped back, satisfied at his triumph, and with a yank on the invisible line where the Mask merged with his face, allowed the Hero to return to his weaker, singular self.

Link fell to his knees, gasping for breath and watching the implosion of shadow and otherworldly light. _The Twili?_ he wondered at the sight of the disoriented shadow-beings. They faded away in moments, Zant vanishing into oblivion soon after. The Hero summoned a bottle of Red Potion and drank thirstily. His wounds vanished, but Link took deep gulps of breath all the same; magic could only replenish so much stamina, and wearing _that_ Mask cost him a great deal of it. Link played Saria's Song and almost regretted it when Darunia stood up to dance, but the Goron was still dizzy and he fell over again, laughing. Even the Hero had to chuckle at that, in spite of all that had happened.

#Link?# Saria 'pathed. #Thank the gods! The attack just got worse!# The Hero paled as Saria wove her sight into his eyes. The forest was under attack by Stalfos, Wolfos and more Deku Scrubs than Link had ever seen in his life.

_No._ Link stood weakly at first, but the rush of battle hadn't truly had time to fade yet. _No! The forest! Saria! NO!_ He played the Prelude of Light, dove to the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, and grabbed it emphatically. He felt Saria reaching for him, and the Hero flowed into the verdant energy, letting the power of the Forest Sage carry him home.

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Saria played as she never had before. Her music echoed through the woods with a more martial beat than she'd ever wished for, or ever dreamed. Scrubs screamed and vanished in spurts of Dark Fire by the dozen. Wolfos staggered and fell after hails of seed fire. The Stalfos were the worst, though, because they were coming closer to the front line with every passing minute.

Fairies swirled and flowed, making the Kokiri one with their targets, blinding foes with flashes of light, and bringing healing energy to the eternal children. Most of the Kokiri were trembling in a mixture of terror and exhaustion, yet they fought on, defending their god and their home, singing wordlessly in time with her Fairy Ocarina. Saria had never been so proud to be the Forest Sage.

Mido, on the other hand, seemed to have come alive like never before. Wielding a staff that was half-alive in his hands, grown for him by the Great Deku Sprout himself, he fought off everything that tried to emerge into the clearing almost single-handedly. _You really are the Great Mido today,_ she thought, torn between pride and fear. Three other Kokiri had already stood with him and been forced to retreat, even trading off the Gilded Sword between them, but Mido was laughing as he brought another Wolfos down. "Is that the best you have? Hah!" He spun his staff into a blur. "Come on, then! I'm getting bored here!"

A Stalfos with an unusual blade strode forward, chuckling in that horrific manner the undead knaves had. He glared down and swung. Mido leaped back, threw a Deku Nut into its face, then charged into it while the thing was still staggering. The Kokiri leader's staff whirled, breaking bones faster than Saria could follow. In seconds the thing had collapsed. Mido grinned wildly and flowed into a ready stance, waiting for the next foe.

The Stalfos' bones floated up from where it had fallen, reconnecting and rearming it. Mido's grin vanished. "Oh, that's not good," he muttered, seeing a pair of White Wolfos padding forward. The Wolfos were moving carefully to avoid Deku Seeds, slavering smiles on their monstrous faces. _How can even Mido fight them all?_ Saria thought frantically. The Stalfos wouldn't return to death, and with two White Wolfos on top of that...

She heard her Song. Link's mind harmonized with her own. #Link?# Saria 'pathed. #Thank the gods! The attack just got worse!# The Forest Sage showed him what she was seeing. Before she could even consider what else to do, he'd grasped the Spiritual Stone of the Forest. Without a second thought, she pulled him through.

The Hero appeared in the very heart of the Kokiri defense, next to the Great Deku Sprout. The Goron Tunic swirled away to permit his ever-present green to return, almost of its own accord. Even from behind, Link looked exhausted, shoulders slumped and breath labored, but as he looked around, life and strength returned to him, and he half-turned back towards Saria. In profile, the Forest Sage saw the horror on his face become grim fury. "My people. My home. You did not bring this war to my home!" he roared.

The Kokiri realized who and what had joined them and cheered wildly. "Hey, is that a Big-Shot Hero back there?" Mido called back, his caustic tone almost perfunctory. "About time you showed up, kid!"

Link laughed - _he laughed!_ Saria realized with joy and relief - and charged forward. "Watch who you're calling kid, old man!" he shot back, taking out the Megaton Hammer and shattering the Stalfos with a single blow. His voice rang out in song, joining the Kokiri seamlessly, and traded Hammer for Master Sword once more. "What's this, the Great Mido having trouble with a couple of Wolfos?"

"Watch your mouth, punk," Mido replied lightly, smashing one of their foes over the head. "Wolfos are nothing to the Great Mido. It's just walking skeletons that won't stay dead that give me trouble."

"Don't sweat 'em," Link said evenly, dispatching the remaining Wolfos with a lunge. "They don't like Bombchus much, and I've got a bag full."

Saria smiled fondly. _Boys._

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_Thirty seconds ago, I was tired,_ Link thought in amazement.

The forest helped, to be sure. Its pure energy of life flowed through him, renewing his resolve in part. The lion's share of his second wind, though, came from one source. _You invaded my home, Ganondorf. You'll pay for that._ The Master Sword flew, turning Deku Scrubs into mulch faster than he could even keep track. Mido wasn't even bothering to insult him any more, laughing as he pounded their foes with a speed that equaled the Hero's, though that staff wasn't quite as deadly as the Blade of Evil's Bane.

"Okay, so where's the big boss? Navi?" Link asked aloud, spinning through a quartet of unlucky Mad Scrubs.

"I'm not sensing anything," the fairy replied, swirling around the Hero with a will. "Wait...there's something in the rear...some...one?" Link felt Navi frown. "It feels familiar. There's something else, though. Something..." Navi swallowed. "...terrible."

"What else is new?" Link sighed. "Mido, you okay here?"

"What, me?" Mido knocked one Scrub into another with a mighty swing of the staff. "This is the Great Mido you're talking to! Now make me proud!"

Link grinned and worked his way down the path, tearing through Scrubs and Wolfos until he reached the Kokiri forest-town. Deku Nuts flashed behind him, and Scrubs ran around in a panic ahead of him. Several lined up and spit seeds at him, but it didn't take long to reflect their attacks back on the strange creatures. A moment later, Link saw what had to be his target. There was a green figure hiding behind a pair of Stalfos. #Not exactly the most fearsome leader Ganondorf recruited, huh, Navi?#

#Speak for yourself,# Navi muttered, landing on his left shoulder and hanging onto his collar. All at once, Link felt the pit of his stomach churn. He let loose a pair of Bombchus, throwing a regular bomb into a pack of Scrubs to help clear the field. The Stalfos looked down in confusion, then exploded into shards, much to Link's satisfaction. Navi whimpered and clung to him more tightly.

There, hands behind his back and looking halfway between guilty and defiant, was Tingle. "You," Link growled in a low, furious voice. "How dare you. How DARE you!"

"I was exiled," Tingle said accusingly. "I didn't mind at first, but I couldn't find this place..."

"You kidnapped Navi," Link snarled, striding forward. The Master Sword quivered in his hand, hungering for action. Navi clung more tightly to his collar. "You bound her in Skulltula web and put her in an iron cage. _Iron,_ sear you!"

"Stay back!" Tingle brought his hands around suddenly, and Link froze. _Majora,_ he thought in horror. _It's not possible._ Yet there it was, Majora's Mask, thin lines of Dark Fire 'glowing' along the cracks where he'd shattered it, the energies apparently welding it together. There was a sense of both Time and mana enchantment on the terrible thing. _Tingle has Majora's Mask. Farore, _Tingle_ has..._ The bizarre little man leaped back. "I...I don't want to do this...I want to be a fairy person...but I'll put it on if I have to! I will, I will!"

"Don't be a fool, Tingle," Link said harshly. "Ganondorf has no interest in leaving any Kokiri alive, even if it were possible for you to become one." He stepped forward, but stopped again when Tingle brought the mask closer to his face. "Majora will devour you. Majora _is_ hunger, Tingle. That's all it is now. It wants to destroy, to consume until there's nothing left."

"I know," Tingle whimpered, stepping back. He seemed caught between clutching the dreaded Mask more closely and throwing it away. "You...you don't know how strong Majora is."

Link paled. "Farore. He got to you. Just like the Skull Kid..."

"But...I didn't sense anything like that," Navi said quietly.

"Cold iron," the Hero explained gently. "Tingle, listen to me. Just...just drop the Mask. This isn't you. We'll go back, explain to your people, your family...they'll understand."

Tingle shook his head, this time the half that wasn't defiant looking sad and lost. "I _wanted_ to come here, Mr. Fairy, don't you see? That's why I didn't say anything then. I thought I was free, and if I could just find this forest..." he looked at Link again, the accusation returning to his eyes this time. "You're not a forever-child, but _you_ have a fairy." He smiled, looking almost sick, when he regarded Navi. "I knew you were special. I did, I did."

"Look," Navi replied softly, "if that was Majora, then I can forgive you, but you've got to get rid of that thing. Fight it, Tingle!"

"I...I want to, but..." the odd little man shuddered, and then there was a blur of motion.

"No!" Link gasped suddenly, darting forward, but froze when he saw he was too late.

Tingle had slammed on the Mask. Even before he'd completed the motion, Link could tell the bizarre Terminan was thinking better of the idea, but he'd moved too quickly and Majora was too strong. "I didn't mean it! I didn't! I didn't! EEYAHHH!" Tingle fell to his stubby knees. Link charged at the merged figure even as Majora's tentacles and mana surging through its victim, but it literally flew back. _Farore, Tingle, I'm sorry,_ the Hero thought sadly. _All these years, and I never thought..._

"You," Majora whispered, its demonic head growing from the breastplate the Mask had become. Tingle, limp inside the mass of ropy flesh, vanished into its chest. "I remember you."

Link drew a Light Arrow, shoving the guilt and sorrow aside. _No time._ He steeled himself to face the still-forming monster. _Majora remembers me as I am. I'm really not going to enjoy this fight._ Navi, showing more courage than Link thought existed in the world, flew above it and harmonized with the devil-mask. "Then you remember I beat you."

"I have learned," it hissed. "I have a proper host. I am more than I was."

"So am I," the Hero rumbled back.

Majora's response was to lash out with one of its whip-like tentacles, which crackled with Dark Fire. Link loosed and dodged, barely avoiding a tentacle slap that ruined the very earth where it struck. _Oh, that's not good._ A burst of flame shot from its body, and the Hero was so surprised he didn't evade in time. #Link!# Navi cried in horror.

#I'll...live...# He rolled into the water to douse the fire, then leaped out and shot again. #Navi, are those Light Arrows having any effect?# Link mentally readied the Mirror Shield, but left it on his back for the moment. _Gods, where's Mikau when I need him?_ He shook his head. _At peace, where he belongs._

#Majora's resisting them somehow! They hurt it, but...# Navi pulsed, worry for him emanating from her.

_I could use Onigami again..._ Link thought desperately. Indeed, the deadly mask pulsed with a hunger of its own in his fairy space. Even partly sated, the Fierce Deity's predatory need was astonishing. Exhausted as he was, though, especially after having just used it against Zant... _I'm not sure if I'd come back from that._ He dodged and fired again. Majora swept the arrow aside contemptuously, then charged at the Hero with horrific speed, whips flailing. Link blocked the charge with his shield, but he was still singed by the Dark Fire that covered the thing's body.

Then it wrapped its tentacles around Link's body, and the Hero screamed. Pain surged through every pore, the very fabric of his existence burning at the touch of a flame that seared reality itself. Distantly, he heard Navi scream as well. Majora threw him away casually, a discarded toy. Somehow, though, Link stood, glaring at the thing as he drew Master Sword and Mirror Shield. It was already firing a beam of fiery power at him, and the Hero smiled wolfishly, reflecting it back on the nihilistic demon. Majora howled in agony of its own.

Then it flew up, Mask staring at the sky, and spun wildly, flying at him. Link dodged, but it hit him from behind before he could turn. Again, he burned, and every hammer-hard slap was as agonizing as Kotake's sorcery, stabbing into his very soul. Everything dimmed and went black...

...but a swirling pink light restored him. The fairy gave him a tiny kiss on the cheek, and Link could feel one of her microscopic tears touch him. "We believe in you, Hero," she whispered, and then was gone.

He stood wearily. _I hate dying._ Glaring at Majora, who gave him a look of mild curiosity, he circled his foe, Master Sword pointed at it. #Navi, I need some help here. Analysis?#

Navi's mind became almost crystalline. He remembered them doing this many times in his youth, but it hadn't been necessary for so long he'd almost forgotten they could. #Majora's Mage: this entity is held together by the Power of Evil itself!#

Link wanted to slap himself. _Evil itself! Duh!_ With a cry and a leap, he slashed at Majora. The dark god moved to block the blade with another arrogant sweep of its tentacle - but the Master Sword cut through it as if it were paper. Majora screamed and clutched the stump, which spilled more Dark Fire. "You may want to rethink your position here, Majora."

Its only response was to howl and spin at him again. This time, Link held the Master Sword up as if to parry, and it tore itself half to pieces before it could fly back. The Mask landed to one side, pulsing weakly. Tingle convulsed beneath it. #Link, it's vulnerable! Finish it!# Navi cried. The Hero didn't need to be told twice, leaping and thrusting his sword down at the Mask, but it flew back.

The 'teeth' around the Mask's edge turned inward, and Link gasped when they plunged into Tingle. The Terminan didn't even scream, just convulsing briefly before vanishing into the Mask entirely. Link fired a Light Arrow, disrupting lines of Dark Fire and causing Majora to shudder, but it grew a mass of thin tentacles from its back and flew at him again. _I can't save everyone,_ he told himself, almost believing it. This time Link leaped at his foe, snarling with rage and grief, Master Sword flying.

It took him about a minute to bring down the Mask, and when it turned into Majora's Incarnation, he knew he was once again fighting the Majora he remembered. After that, the battle became little more than an exhausting chore. Several minutes later, with a final roar, he drove the Master Sword through the heart of Majora's Wrath, and just as before, the Mask disintegrated entirely. All the invaders vanished in bursts of Dark Fire. The cheer filled his soul. _That's it. The last one._ He sat wearily in the grass, his relief waning when there was no sign of the odd little Terminan. _Majora consumes. Consumed. It doesn't matter. I can rest for a little while, anyway. Gods, I've got to get back to the castle..._

The Kokiri ran to him, still cheering, and carried him off in a mass of childlike joy. _...soon._ He gestured weakly, and the Ocarina of Time appeared. It took two tries, but he played Zelda's Lullaby. #Zelda? You okay?#

#Link! Yes, we're fine - what about you?# she 'pathed, mind implacable.

#Just...need some rest...gods, I feel like I've been fighting forever, and it's only afternoon, but I'll live...Lon Lon?# he remembered dimly. Link leaned his head back, and someone handed him a glass of milk. He looked at the blonde Kokiri with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, she is your cow!" the girl laughed.

_Oh yeah._ Link nodded and drank thirstily, then closed his eyes.

#They're fine. We got a squad of guards out to them. Anyway...well...hurry back, all right?# Zelda 'pathed. #As soon as you're up to it!# she added quickly. #You rest as much as you need to first.#

Link sent a nod and let the connection dissolve. When he opened his eyes again, he was lying in the grass, Saria peering happily down at him from above, looking upside-down from his perspective. "Hello, Forest Sage."

"Don't you 'Forest Sage' me, you rascal," Saria chided gently, smiling almost wide enough to split her face in half. "Busy day?" Link snorted at that, but said nothing. "Right. Well, you're not going anywhere for a while. I think you've fought enough battles for one day."

"Let's hope so," Link exhaled.

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Zelda collapsed into her throne, arms limp. _Gods, please, let that be everyone who needs healing._ The outer walls were damaged, several buildings lay in ruins, and hundreds had been injured. Aside from the dead, though - too many, and she forced herself not to think about Senza - healing those in need had not been a complicated task, simply an exhausting one. Likewise, in spite of all the damage, the city could still be defended.

"How are we doing, Potho?" she asked, her voice far weaker than she would have liked.

"The healers are exhausted, Your Highness," the royal advisor said, sounding even older than his nearly three centuries, "but all who needed their services will recover fully." Zelda nodded in weary relief. "Our stocks of Red Potion are low, but manageable. In better news, a witch in Kakariko had sent word to us that she has completed work on a Blue Potion - one that restores both body and mana."

"Thank Nayru," Zelda whispered. "Get her everything she needs. We must have those potions. Further, I want the Hero to be informed the moment he returns to the castle. Better yet, send him directly to me."

Potho bowed and retreated, stopping at the door to her receiving room. "Your Highness, perhaps it would be wiser to meet the Hero in a more formal manner rather than...implying something beyond his station."

_Not again._ Zelda's fingers tightened on the arms of her chair. "You have served Hyrule and the Crown wisely and well for centuries, Master Potho. For that reason, I will forget what I just heard."

Potho bowed. "Of course, Your Highness." He opened the door and backed out respectfully. Zelda's body relaxed. _I wish I could say that was my Sheikah skill._ All the same, she let the exhaustion roll over her body, early twilight washing over her with its unique beauty. She closed her eyes.

Impa emerged from a shadow. "That was a bit harsh, my lady...but understandable." She walked over to Zelda and perfunctorily placed a hand on her forehead. "Your mana reserves are all but depleted, and you possess depths the likes of which I have only seen in one other."

"Ganondorf," she replied quietly. "I pray that even he reached his limits in that assault. I caught glimpses of Link's...I can't even begin to describe it. If anyone ever deserved to be called Hero..."

"We all played our parts," Impa said carefully, "but yes, he turned the tide." She came around to Zelda's right side and looked her hand over carefully. "Would that your part in this was over, but I do know better than that."

"Well, it is certainly over for now," Zelda chuckled. "I can barely move." She smiled then, deep satisfaction glowing inside her. "It was worth it, though. I imagine Vaati will not bother us for many incarnations to come, and..." her smile faded away. "...no one who could be saved was lost." She looked up at Impa and gasped. "Gods! Why aren't you being healed yourself?"

Scars lined half of Impa's body, but the old Sheikah just chuckled. "What, these scratches? They bother me not. Indeed, they'll be gone by morning. I have been healed, my child, but these insect bites take longer to fade at my age."

Zelda closed her eyes again. "Farore. I must be tired." Opening one eye halfway then, she glanced back over at her bodyguard. "Wait. You can't be that old."

Impa stroked Zelda's hair gently. "Sheikah live as long as other Hylians, our violent lives aside, but age wears on us more quickly, and my body still remembers what the Shadow Beast and Twinrova witch did to it." She smiled fondly at the princess. "I appreciate the sentiment all the same."

There was a knock. "Come," Zelda called as best she could.

Fanadi entered and bowed, then turned to Impa. "High Sheikah...we can save them," she said quickly.

Zelda opened her eyes more fully. "'High Sheikah?' Congratulations."

"Hush, child," Impa replied curtly. Zelda merely smiled at that. "Save whom? You cannot mean what remains of our people."

"I do," Fanadi said firmly. "Kotake has left them to lead an assault on the Spirit Temple." She bowed again to Zelda. "Hyrule's reinforcements have already arrived, however, so they will find only frustration there. Finally, after that assault, Ganondorf himself must be spent...and the Hero has dispatched all of his summoned champions. If we hurry-"

"No," Impa said, not quite choking on the word. "The princess is in far too fragile a state for me to leave her now."

"Fragile," Zelda said, her intended growl coming out a rasp. _Farore. Gods, give me strength._ Impa looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "No, Impa. Not this time. The Sheikah must be saved. Send anyone you feel necessary to 'protect' me, but I am giving you a direct royal command - you will take any and all allies and resources you see fit to ensure success."

Impa actually quivered for a moment, and Zelda gasped. "You..." she looked into Zelda's eyes for a long moment, then hugged her ferociously. "Thank you," she whispered. Zelda permitted a tear to leak down her cheek. "GUARDS!" the Sheikah bellowed.

A dozen Hylian warriors streamed into the room in seconds. "Lady Impa...?"

"Find the most powerful wizards and knights that can be spared and have them attend the princess. I must go for a time, at Her Highness' command." She nodded sideways to Fanadi. "Come." Fanadi smiled gratefully to Zelda, bowing again, then retreated. The guards looked at each other, then half of them left, the other half remaining with the princess. Zelda felt the pair fade into Shadow.

"zelda..." she heard moments later. It came from a fair distance across the castle, and the voice was faint, but the Sage of Time caught it and knew it instantly.

"Link," she breathed, then with an energy that she had no right to, stood, hiked her dress up, and ran from the room. The remaining guards gasped and followed.

She saw him sitting there in her garden, back to her, shadows cast long over his body in the deepening twilight. There was a small pool of blood beside him, and his hand, seeming gray and pale, sat limply at his side. "...zel..."

"no," she breathed, voice barely a whisper, and ran to his side. Every flicker of mana she could summon from within and around her flowed into her hands, and into his body. "No. Gods, no. Live, Link. Please. Live." He gasped and sat more fully upright, heels drumming against the ground. She collapsed into his arms, gasping for breath. Then she looked into his eyes, and gasped again - in horror.

Deep red eyes gazed almost fondly down at her, nearly Sheikah in their intensity. He had flesh, yet it was gray and inhuman. His tunic shifted from deep forest green to the same jet black of his hair. "My hero," he said dryly, then sank into the very shadow they cast. Zelda felt the darkness wrap around her, rendering her as helpless as a fly in a spider's web. _No, no, not him, not like this -_

_LINK!_

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_Zelda?_

Link sat up, muscles protesting at even that simple motion. He was sore and he was exhausted and his stomach rumbled in empty protest. _Doesn't matter. Even Ganondorf's going to need a night off after that._ Still, something niggled in the back of the Hero's mind. _Zelda..._

Muscles complaining even more, Link stood, watching Kokiri activate light charms throughout the clearing. Homes lit up and fairies sparkled more brightly as the sun slowly sank in the distance. Navi flew around him in her usual, comforting manner. #You okay, 'Mr. Important Hero?'# she 'pathed, though there was a gratitude in their connection he hadn't felt since...Termina. #That's right, Link, I'm grateful. Like just about everyone you've saved, a few idiotic ingrates aside.# She shuddered, a faint bell-ring echoing when she did.

#I'm just glad you're okay,# Link replied. #I do feel bad about Tingle - all this time, I thought he was a monster when he was just another one of Majora's victims, but - Farore. It doesn't matter now. Look, I thought I felt something for a second. You pick anything up?# He looked around, knowing he wouldn't see anything but his home looking like it should. #It felt like Zelda for a second.#

Navi shook her head. #Sorry, I didn't sense anything.#

#Considering what she sounded like, that's good news,# Link 'pathed with some relief. #Can you go find Saria? I'm going to contact Zelda, but then I'll want to talk to her no matter what Zel says.# Navi nodded and took off, and Link pulled out the Ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby.

It was like hitting a stone wall. The feeling was so intense that he actually checked his nose for a second, feeling it with his fingers to make sure it wasn't bruised. _It wasn't real,_ he thought. His nose was unharmed. He took a Megaton Hammer to the sudden panic rising in him. Link turned, ready to head for Saria's house, then squawked and stumbled back when he almost walked right into her.

Saria giggled. "You're cute when you panic."

"Saria..." he shook his head, then looked intently at her and frowned. "I can't reach Zelda. Something's wrong, I'm sure of it now."

#Hey there, Hero,# a silky voice whispered in his mind. His own voice, yet not.

Link froze. _No. Gods, no. Not that, please, Farore, not him, not with her._ Saria gripped his hand from the other side of the world. #What do you want?#

#What else?# Dark Link - _no, Shadow, now,_ the Hero thought distantly - laughed coldly. #To end it. She's unhurt, I swear by Din, but I promise you she'll wish I was hurting her if you don't come, alone.#

The Hero of Time had known fear many times before. Courage is the conquest of fear, not its absence. True terror, however, he'd only known once: watching Zelda trapped in crystal and carried off helplessly to Ganondorf's citadel, utterly at his mercy.

This was worse. #I swear, alone. Just...don't. Gods, please, don't.#

Shadow Link laughed at that, sounding genuinely amused. #Don't what? Do what you've dreamt of doing for as long as you can remember? Do something you haven't had the courage to do?#

#I have never,# Link snarled back, #dreamed of hurting Zelda. _Never.#_

#Temper, temper,# Shadow replied in an almost sing-song manner. #You don't want to upset me now, do you?# Link fumed silently. #Good boy. Heel.# Shadow's tone turned deadly serious as he sent the Hero an image of the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern. #Come alone. Come now. Remember, in many ways I am you, and Farore, she's more beautiful than I could have imagined. Hurry, Hero. I don't know how long my patience will hold.#

Link snapped the connection and pulled out the Ocarina. Saria clutched at his arm, looking panicked herself. "No! You're exhausted! You've only had enough time for the fatigue to set in, you can't-"

"He has Zelda, Saria," he said, voice choked. "My Shadow...has Zelda. I have to go. Now." He played the Bolero of Fire and turned into glowing mana, flowing away through her fingers. Saria's gasp felt like a knife, but he could have ignored a greatsword through the chest just then. _Hang on, Zelda. Hang on. I'm coming._


	16. Part 2, Ch 4: Minuet of Hope

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Four: Minuet of Hope**

Zelda awoke to darkness.

She couldn't see, all she could hear were strange echoes, and her body would barely obey her. Only her psychic senses remained truly effective, and even they were muted by her extreme lack of mana. There was no pain, mercifully, a small comfort given her situation.

Letting her mental awareness ripple slowly outward, Zelda carefully felt the area around her for signs of life. At first, she sensed nothing, but soon, she noticed several contradictory presences. They seemed one, but many at the same time. Most of it was dim and porous, but there was a solid core of something at the heart of it. Around that core, two forces circled one another. It felt like Ganon and Link locked in mortal combat.

"mmm!" she wept, thrashing for half a second, before she realized that what she'd sensed was metaphoric. _Dark Link,_ she realized, forcing herself to become composed. _As composed as I can be, wrapped up like this._ Turning her examinations to her more immediate situation, she felt a surprisingly comfortable cot beneath her, which was resting on partially worked rock. _Cave?_ Nearby, she detected a meager lava flow, which was odd given the coolness of the chamber. _Caverns. Cheeky. Somehow, though, I doubt Link's Shadow forgot to take the Gorons into account._ Twisting on her cot, she found to her dismay that her Shadow wrappings were very thorough. _Feet, ankles, knees from below to above, arms folded behind me _and_ pinned to my body, fingers practically welded to my elbows...Ganondorf has far too much time on his hands. Even my Sheikah training's not getting me out of this._

She froze at an astonishingly gentle touch, fingertips caressing her cheek. "Shh, shh, it's all right, Zel," her captor said, voice the equal to his touch. _Of course. There's still some Link in there._ In defiance of all good sense, she felt guilty, but she whimpered into her gag anyway. "I'm sorry, Zel, I can't..." Zelda shifted on her cot and pleaded wordlessly. "Sear it. You haven't the mana to use Farore's Wind, and even if you could move your fingers, those bonds won't allow you to slide through Shadow." He touched her blindfold and gag, and they vanished. Zelda blinked, but the room was dark enough that her eyes didn't need to adjust greatly.

Link had always described his Dark counterpart as solid Shadow, but the man who stared into her eyes seemed real enough. His skin was an unhealthy shade of gray, his sword and shield remained solid Shadow, and his mana felt fouled with Dark Fire, like a stagnant, poisoned lake, but this Shadow Link was flesh and blood. His eyes could have been a Sheikah's, a touch darker than usual perhaps, but not beyond the Tribe's variation if she remembered Impa's descriptions right.

Just then, his eyes were the most intense part of him, flickering even as he stared. Shadow's entire body quivered like a bowstring just released. He licked his lips nervously. _Gods, let that be nerves,_ Zelda thought suddenly. "Better?" he asked, voice suddenly gravelly.

Zelda nodded. "Yes, thank you," she whispered. "Please, you don't have to do this-"

He covered her mouth with his hand. "You don't understand, Zel," he said, his soft, gentle voice returning, but his eyes blazed with a strange fire. "I do have to." He let her go, stood, and paced manically. "It's them, don't you see? That gods-forsaken Hero and his Din-seared Enemy. They're inside me," he rumbled, voice shifting again to a deep rasp as he tapped his forehead forcefully, "both of them, them and more! It wasn't so bad when there wasn't as much of a _me_ to notice," Shadow hissed, "but they were driving me insane!"

"Sh-Shadow, we can help you," Zelda replied slowly, carefully. "What you are, what you've been turned into, that's Ganondorf's work..." she felt into his core. "...no, this 'you' that you've discovered, Kotake did that, didn't she?"

Shadow Link nodded. "Oh yes. She had a soul she'd been saving for a very special project. My soul." He ran his fingers along his chest in wonder and disbelief. "I used to be nothing more than a hole, a void created in mockery of the Hero's epic substance. It was so easy, then." He looked at Zelda, eyes now focused and clear. "Back then, I just _wanted_ you. Ganondorf's hate and Link's desire were easy enough to reconcile. But she'd been preparing me for years for this, and when Link defeated me in Zora's Domain, she decided my time had come." Shadow took a deep, shuddering breath and looked away. "Now, I can feel love, know what it is." He glared at Zelda again, his gaze almost accusing. "Do you have any idea..._any_ idea...how much that accursed Hero loves you?"

The world seemed to stop. Zelda could feel her heart pounding, and helpless as she was, there was no escape from it. _He...he..._ Another person might have feared a lie, but her psychic awareness denied her perverse self-doubt that excuse. _Gods. Oh, gods._ Even the reflected love emanating from Shadow's eyes was unfathomable, overwhelming. _And that's just a fraction of..._ Again, Zelda forced herself to take a long, deep breath. _I will make it up to him. Somehow. Gods, help us._ She met his gaze. "I had some idea, yes, but obviously I underestimated the Hero." The princess smiled wryly. "He gets a lot of that."

"Not from me," Shadow hissed. Zelda swallowed. "The problem with that 'Hero,'" he snarled, spitting out the word as if it were the foulest curse imaginable, "is that he can't do what he must. Most of us are a mixture of Light and Shadow, generosity and need, compassion and...desire." Shadow half-choked on the last word, then strode to Zelda and knelt, facing her. He caressed a strand of hair away from her face. "He can't protect you as you need, because for all that he is driven to keep you safe, the Light in the 'Hero' thinks he must let you run around free, lest shelter destroy you."

Zelda's eyes widened in fear. "He's right...please, he's right."

"No." Shadow stroked her cheek again, desperation quivering in his fingers this time. "You'll change, true. Soften, weaken. I can protect you, though. From Ganondorf, from the court, from Kotake," he said, growling the witch's name, "from anything. Needlenose thinks I work for him, but he couldn't be more wrong." All at once, he smiled beatifically. "You'll be happy. You'll see."

"What about Link?" Zelda whispered. _Gods! I can't let this happen!_

The smile vanished, and he bared his teeth in a vicious rictus of pure hate, leaping to his feet and pacing again. "Link. LINK! The bloody Din-seared 'Hero!' I HATE him!" He waved his arms around wildly. "He haunts me, Zel! Even before I had a true soul, he tormented me! So good, so perfect, so 'pure!' It's sickening!" Shadow stormed across the chamber. "He knows you don't love him, so he lets his desire consume him!"

"I _do_ love him!" Zelda replied emphatically. "More than I could ever say!"

Shadow stopped as if turned to stone. For several seconds, he stood there, jaw slack, not even breathing. Finally, his head turned, the rest of his body as still as it had been, save for the faint working of his heart and lungs. "You...no, you can't. You would have said something. He knows you would have."

_Is this what being tortured by Kotake is like?_ Zelda wondered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I...I was too afraid. I didn't want to risk our friendship. I thought...how could I be worthy of the Hero? All he's done, and I could never make it right for him..." She bit her lip, only able to see the stunned look on Shadow out of the corner of her eye, too ashamed to look at him. "...I was going to tell him, just the other day, but we were interrupted by Sakon..." Her eyes narrowed then, and she did look at Shadow, an accusation of her own in her eyes. "...and you."

"That was...I wasn't in control yet," Shadow replied, looking away himself. "Don't look at me like that! I didn't even exist yet. I was still pieces - a soul in need of blood, and two shards of Shadow from Link and Ganon..."

"Of course," Zelda said, realization hitting her at once. "The soul. You wanted our help."

"It's too late for that," he said suddenly, voice hard and cold. He gestured, and the gag returned. Zelda grunted in frustration. "We were separate before, but now there's just me. The Shadow. He's coming for me, and I have to kill him."

_NO!_ Zelda screamed, but nothing came out but muffled outrage. "I'm sorry, but I have to. Mandrag hates him, and Kotake hates him, and Link's own Shadow hates him, and this sorry excuse for a soul doesn't count for much against all of that." Zelda thrashed in a panic, but the Shadow bands were anchored to the cot at her ankles and back. "Then..." he looked at her, eyes a mass of conflicting emotion, "...we can finally be together. Forever." Shadow Link stepped out of her line of sight and vanished into the darkness.

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Link grimaced at the opening to the Cavern. Four Shadow-covered Dodongos were guarding the entrance, hissing at the Gorons that glared at them, but they ignored the Hero entirely.

"Are you sure about this, Brother?" Darunia asked. The Fire Sage was still limping, and his eyes remained a bit unfocused, but Link found some small relief in seeing that his Sworn Brother would recover completely. "If he is your opposite, he cannot have any honor at all."

"He's not an exact opposite," Link explained slowly. "In some ways, he's the reverse of me. In others...we're very much alike." The Hero shuddered. _Farore. I can feel him in me._ He could sense Shadow's vile hunger and relentless hatred. Link wanted to shower for a week. He also wanted to sleep for a week, the Triforce's ability to sustain him long since past its limits, but the Hero resolutely ignored that part. "He wants to test himself against me. In his mind, there can only be one Link, Light or Shadow, and sending an army of Ganondorf's monsters wouldn't prove anything."

Darunia snorted in frustration. "Very well, Hero, but be careful all the same. I cannot imagine this creature of Ganondorf's won't use the princess against you."

The Cavern echoed with the sound of roaring lizards. Link shuddered, though the haunting cries had nothing to do with it. "He already has, Brother." Without looking back, Link strode past the fiery lizards and into the Cavern. #Navi?#

#I don't think you're going to need my help to find him,# Navi replied quietly. Link looked up. The mighty Dodongo skull's jaw was open, and a great arrow of Dark Fire pointed down its 'throat' from within.

#No kidding.# Link followed, then saw an arrow pointing left from the central room. #At least we don't have to fight our way through the entire Din-seared Cavern again.# The Hero walked on, the weakness in his legs beginning to show in his stride. #Farore. He doesn't want to do this around that lava pit, does he?#

#I think the Gorons sealed it,# Navi replied.

Link frowned. #Yeah, I think you're right...# One of his ears flickered up like a cat's. #Did you hear that?# Muffled grunts, the scraping sounds of helpless struggling and tearful frustration trickled faintly from the arrow's direction. He ran towards the sounds, then froze when he got to the open doorway.

Zelda looked up at him with horrified, tear-filled eyes, shaking her head _no,_ and struggling with heart-rending weakness.

Grimacing, Link scanned the room quickly, looking on either side of the doorway and the ceiling. Though the room was much more poorly lit than the last time he'd entered, there was no sign of danger. Running in an arc to avoid the sealed pit in the room's center, he dashed towards Zelda, who was still trying to warn him of something. _I'll deal with-_

#Watch out!# Navi cried.

Link backflipped, narrowly avoiding a plunging blade and Shadow Link. _Farore, that was close,_ Link thought, shaking slightly as he readied his sword and shield. Shadow grinned hatefully at him. "What's the matter, Hero? A little tired? A little...weak in the knees?"

"Not as weak as you are, Dim!" Link retorted, stabbing. #Navi, what in Nayru's name happened to him?#

#He's real now!# Navi warned. #That's a body, flesh and blood! Maybe this has something to do with what Impa meant about a sacrifice!#

Link stumbled backwards, barely avoiding a riposte. _Impa's Dark Sheikah. Me. Farore._ He rolled out of the way of a slash, then leaped away from an arcing head strike. _At least he's not as fast as he was when he was pure Shadow. Gods, he's fast enough as it is._ Zelda thrashed even more wildly, muffled cries frantic, while the Hero continued to play defense. Almost automatically, he blocked another blow with his shield, then rolled away. "Nayru's Love," he rasped, and the azure field spun around him.

"The same trick twice?" Shadow laughed, easily evading a stumbling slice. "You should know better than that. Nayru's Love!" he cried, and the same field sprang up around him. Link grimaced, then leaped towards Zelda. Shadow slammed into him, and the two went sprawling. "Don't," Shadow growled while Link stumbled to his feet again, his dark counterpart rising easily. "We don't want her to get hurt, now do we?"

"You..." New strength flowed through Link's body. "I'm going to kill you."

Shadow laughed again, more mocking than ever. "Kill me? Hero, you can barely stand upright without shaking. You've fought more battles today than even you have ever faced before, and I was completely reborn after your fight with 'me.'" Shadow circled him, a cat preparing to finish off a particularly stubborn mouse. "I'm stronger than ever. What do you have left? 'Love?' Hah!"

Link bared his teeth and snarled. "Shut up."

"Oh, it's too late for that," Shadow said with amusement, and Link winced. He spared a glance at Zelda, who looked away as much as she could, trembling. _She knows. Zelda, forgive me._

Then her eyes went wide, and she started rubbing her gag on something. _Thank Nayru! I've got to keep him busy now..._ Link locked eyes with Shadow. "So you told her," he said, letting his loathing for the creature before him flow freely. He blocked as much of his connection to his Shadow as he could, realizing with relief that he'd reduced it to a trickle.

Shadow bowed with a flourish, then looked up at the Hero with sadistic satisfaction. "It was so much fun, watching her realize just how 'pure' her precious Hero's devotion really was all this time." Link's foe straightened again, stepping back and switching to the Megaton Hammer. "Oh, and your little Sheikah mind filter won't save you. Remember this trick? Let's see how well that shield of yours works now!"

"There are a lot of things about me that are impure, Dim," Link said furiously, "but my devotion to Zelda isn't one of them!" He held up his sword just as the spell vanished. Shadow cried out in triumph and leaped, but Link dodged to the side, then jumped backwards and readied himself. That gave Shadow's spell enough time to wink out, and Link countered with a spin attack just as Shadow charged at him again.

"Aargh!" Shadow roared, stumbling back. His wound didn't bleed, cauterized as it was by the attack's fiery ring, but Link suspected with relief that his enemy wasn't helped much by that. "Miserable dog of Farore! You'll pay for that!"

"You keep talking about how I can't possibly win," Link replied, grinning coldly, "but I just drew first blood. Uh, flesh." He pointed vaguely at Shadow's wound with the Master Sword. "Maybe you should reconsider this."

"Never!" Shadow screamed, dispersing the Hammer and summoning his blade and shield. "I'll cut out your heart and eat it!"

"That's not how you increase your life energy," Link quipped. Shadow snarled wordlessly and charged again. _I might actually win this fight._

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Zelda ignored the trickle of blood on her cheek and kept scraping. The sharp end of the nail she'd found wasn't having much of an effect on her gag, but all she needed was enough slack to make herself heard. _He has to know,_ she thought with grim determination. _I have to warn him!_

Link had finally regained some momentum in his duel with his Shadow. While they weren't moving as exact mirror images of one another, Shadow Link seemed to have some idea of what the original was about to do. Fortunately, Link looked like he'd picked up some of the same trick. _The problem is, Shadow's right about one thing,_ Zelda thought, forcing her fear back. _Link can't keep this up forever._ He was already slowing down again - just a fraction, but it would only get worse.

Something gave way in the Shadow band silencing her. Zelda shook her head sharply, but the band remained stuck to her mouth. _No! Gods, what do I do now?_ Again, she struggled, but Zelda was as spent as Link, without the benefit of battle's rush to sustain her.

#...won't fail her...# she heard distantly.

#Link?# Zelda 'pathed suddenly, desperately. _Is that what came loose? Please!_ She forced all her remaining energy into forging the connection. #Link! You have to hear me! You have to! LINK!#

#Zelda?# Link replied finally, rolling away from Shadow and drawing a Light Arrow. Shadow Link vanished into the ground, laughing again. He put the bow away, reabsorbing the arrow's mana, and pulled out the Master Sword. #Thank the gods! Are you all right?#

#Only as long as you still are,# she 'pathed firmly. #There's a chance in all of this, but...Link, it's bad.#

He nodded grimly, then gasped and jumped away when Shadow rose from the floor, spinning at him. #I noticed!# Their swords met in eerie synchronicity, then Link jumped backwards again, just evading another slash. #What in Farore's name happened to him? I mean, aside from the obvious.#

#He has a soul,# she said, hoping that brevity would help. Link did freeze for a fraction of a second, but still managed to duck another slash. _At least it didn't hurt._ #Link, remember what we heard from Sakon? The different voices?#

Link thrust, rolled and slashed, but before he could get behind Shadow again, the dark figure laughed and leaped away, almost floating through the air before landing halfway across the room. #Vividly,# Link replied. #Wait...is the soul the voice that was asking for help?#

#I'm sure of it,# Zelda 'pathed. #I think...I think you might be able to sever the other pieces of Shadow, yours and Ganondorf's, from him. You'll have to use the Eye and the Master Sword, but you should be able to see the separate pieces in his aura, if they are still separate.# Zelda couldn't bite her lip again, so she just gritted her teeth and prayed. _Please, let me have guessed right._

Link focused, the Eye forming on his brow. #I...yes, I see them. They've spread some, like ink in water, but I think I can do what you're talking about.#

Zelda collapsed into the cot. _Thank you, Nayru,_ she prayed in gratitude. _Now, please, help the Hero. Whatever I can give, it is his. Please._

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Link firmly walled off his private thoughts from his connection to Zelda. _Oh, sure, no pressure. All I have to do is stab very specific spots in Shadow's aura, getting past the defenses of the fastest - well, second-fastest - enemy I've ever fought, without getting carved open._ He stumbled on a rock, and barely blocked another slash with his shield. _Oh, and I've got just about nothing left._ He gritted his teeth and glared at his foe. _Enough whining, Hero. Time to do your job._

Navi loyally returned to her spot above Shadow's head, and Link used her guidance to leap at him. He slashed at the poisonous cloud that had to represent Ganondorf - _Farore, it has to, that can't be from me_ - but Shadow blocked with his shield and danced away. "Getting sloppy, Hero." Shadow looked up in annoyance. "Then again, you do still have something I don't."

"Believe it - AAH!" Navi screamed when a bottle of Shadow imprisoned her!

"That's better," Shadow chuckled, tossing the bottle aside. Even he gasped at the sight of Link's face, a mask of fury, when the Hero charged at him with speed that he simply shouldn't have had. Shadow blocked and parried wildly, Link slashing and lunging with furious determination. All at once the Hero backpedaled, then thrust his sword to one side. The Shadow bottle burst like a balloon, and Navi shot up Link's arm to hover around his hat again.

"Power to Repel Evil," Link rumbled, stalking towards Shadow again.

"That...fairy," Shadow growled. "Obviously I was too nice the first time." Again their blades met, the cavern echoing with the clash of enchanted steel and pseudo-metal.

_This isn't working. I have to use my head._ Link grimaced, locking his hilt against Shadow's. Shadow grunted in annoyance while he tried to free his sword. _He moves like I do, seems to anticipate...wait...moves like I do..._ Link grinned. _Think like a Hero._ He pushed away from Shadow just as his dark counterpart did the same, freeing them both. Link released the mind block, letting the dark side of himself harmonize with his enemy. #Link?# Navi sent worriedly. #What are you doing?#

Shadow looked at him oddly. "Giving up? That's not like you."

#Trust me, Navi.# Link smiled confidently, then gestured for Shadow to come at him. "Only one way to find out."

"Fine. Die, then!" Shadow charged. Link lunged. In his mind, Zelda and Navi screamed as one.

Each of their blades was thrust through the other's shoulder. They mirrored each other perfectly. _Except only one of us,_ Link thought, still smiling, _has a piece of Ganondorf living in his right arm._ Shadow screamed. _Well, the aura in that part of the body, anyway._ Red-violet energy rippling with Dark Fire burst from Shadow's wound, and the blot of cursed mana dissipated into eternity. They stumbled back in unison, blades drooping and shields all but collapsing, hanging from limp, near-useless arms. "I..." Shadow gasped, falling to one knee. "...I..." He looked up at Link, shaking badly. "You freed me. You...why? Din burn you, _why?"_

"I don't hate you any more," Link whispered. "We can end this peacefully, if you want."

Weakly, Shadow rose to his feet. "The curse is in your Shadow, too. I have to finish this."

Link nodded in understanding. Shadow hissed and lunged. Link slid away, slicing at Shadow's left shoulder. He missed Shadow's body, but that wasn't what the Hero was aiming at.

The replica's aura opened more readily than his body. Link shuddered as his own dark side absorbed the part that was like him, of him, though the cursed energies simply wailed and burned away at the Blade's touch. The Shadow entity, Shadow Link no more, collapsed into a ball and shuddered, body shifting and changing. Link and Zelda stared, eyes locked on the sight.

When it was done, a lithe young man with white hair and the light armor of a Sheikah looked up at them. His red eyes had lost that indefinable element that had them not quite seeming Sheikah. For a moment, Link thought he recognized the boy. All at once, it hit him. _Impa. He looks like Impa._ He wasn't an exact match, of course, but the nose, the arms, and especially his eyes...Link smiled again. "Go home."

'Shadow' vanished. Link felt the lad's energies race off. #He's safe, Link,# Zelda 'pathed. #He's going to be all right.#

Zelda's voice drew Link to her with a power the Triforce itself couldn't match. Their eyes met. _Those eyes._ He ran, stumbling, to her side, and slashed away the bonds anchoring her to the cot. Then he dropped to his knees, finding himself close enough that he could feel her breathe. The Hero yanked on the gag, which snapped where she'd cut it, and it pulled away harmlessly. He trembled for a moment, then gathered his wits. "Just give me a minute, Zel. Cutting you free is going to be a little-"

She kissed him.

Time froze and shattered. Space boiled and erupted. The universe came to a stop. Nothing existed but Zelda, and she went on forever. Lightning ran through the Hero's veins, a rush of joy that consumed his weariness.

Eventually, even such an eternity must end, and Zelda leaned back, looking up at him again. He was amazed to find her cradled gently in his left arm, the right one still limp. "I love you," she said.

"Wh - what?" Link gasped. _I didn't hear that. I'm dreaming. I have to be._ He moved his mouth, but nothing came out at first. "Z...Zel..."

Zelda smiled at him, tears streaming freely again. "I...love...you." She leaned toward him, but her bonds kept her lips from reaching his. "I wanted to tell you for so long, but I was so afraid." She leaned into his chest, closing her eyes. The feel of her breathing there was better than any potion, any fairy magic. "I'm not, though, not any more. How can I be?" Again she looked up at him, and he lost himself in her gaze. "After that...even for you, that was a thing of legend...how can I doubt that you love me, unworthy as I am?"

His mind came back to life. "Unworthy! You?" Link wanted to slide away from her suddenly, the thought of tainting her with his touch anathema, but if he moved he'd drop her on the hard stone. "You're the greatest leader Hyrule's ever known! For the love of Nayru, you're the Princess of Destiny, the Sage of Time, the Keeper of Knowledge! And that's just the start! I could go on for hours, for Din's sake! Me, I'm just...I'm..."

"The Hero of Time, Juror of Courage, and savior of Hyrule more times over than anyone will ever know." Zelda shook her head, still smiling. "Always so proper." She looked back up at him, staring irresistibly into his eyes. _She's the one in the bonds,_ Link thought madly, _but I'm the one helpless in her grip._ "Well, you've suffered my cowardice long enough."

"Call yourself a coward again," Link almost growled, "and...and..."

Zelda laughed. _She's laughing!_ Link thought wildly. _Has she no idea what I am?_ "And what, Hero?" She leaned up at him again, her grin changing, taking on a quality Link didn't recognize. "What are you going to do, silence me? With your lips, perhaps?"

Every beat of Link's heart was an explosion. "Zelda...you don't know. You...I'm not as proper as you think."

"Please, Link," she said, but it was only half scoffing. _It's like she really was asking me for something,_ he thought, disbelieving the notion even as it struck him. "I've seen you as Onigami. I've met your dark side." She bit her lip. "In all our battles together, after everything we've faced, do you know what's still the hardest thing I've ever done?" Link, dumbfounded, shook his head. "Telling you to take off that Mask!" Her gaze wavered, and she trembled against him. "I didn't want you to stop. Farore, I couldn't really fight _Shadow,_ and he was only a touch of you."

"Zelda..." Link licked his lips desperately. _It's not a dream. My dreams aren't this impossible._ Even with her eyes moving, he was paralyzed. "...all my life, there's only one thing I've ever wanted for - for myself." His jaw shook. "Y-you."

At that, she relaxed, her eyes steadying. "You have me," she whispered. "You always did."

Link couldn't help it any longer. He kissed her, the relief and joy and desire and sheer, inescapable love overwhelming him. She whimpered and leaned into him, pressing her lips against his. When they came up for air, there was only one thing he could say.

"I love you too, Zel."


	17. Part 2, Ch 5: Song of Passing

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Five: Song of Passing**

Zelda paced in her room, forcing herself not to chew her lip. _Has it really only been one day?_ she wondered, the tragedies and triumphs of what had just passed racing through her memory. Her stomach fluttered wildly, and she came to a halt next to her desk. _Farore. Link can wait just a little longer._ Remembering him finally kissing her, safe in his arms, made her knees want to give way, but the other most important person in her life hadn't returned, and worry kept her upright. _Impa, where are you?_

In spite of her concern, she let her psychic senses flicker back to the Hero. _He even snores cute,_ she thought, love filling her again. Threats of having half the knights and the nine mightiest wizards in the castle sitting on him hadn't been enough to keep him there when he learned where the two remaining Sheikah had gone, but one quivering lip and pleading gaze had sent him to proper guest quarters. _No more soldier's cot for you, my Hero,_ she thought with bone-deep satisfaction.

The worry returned in force. _Impa should be back by now. Gods, where are they?_ Again, the temptation to scry for her surrogate mother filled her; again, she crushed it ruthlessly. _If I can find her, Kotake can find her, even if she wouldn't have been able to before I did._ Zelda paced again. _How could I have just sent her into the jaws of so obvious a trap? What if Fanadi and I were wrong, and Ganondorf was strong enough to catch them?_ She gestured, and her sword flew into her hand. The princess looked at it oddly, the long-ago gift feeling at once familiar and strange. _And what am I going to do with you, carve my way through Ganondorf's legions single-handed?_ She frowned, remembering her promise to Link. _It's only fair, I suppose. He didn't want me running off after yesterday, any more than I did him._

With a savage gesture, she threw the sword into a chair. It stuck there with a wooden 'thunk,' then wobbled metallically for a few seconds.

There was a 'whuff' of displaced air and light smoke. "Your father will have a fit if he sees that," Impa said, her smile evident in her voice.

"Impa!" Zelda cried, throwing her arms around the Sheikah and hugging her with every ounce of strength in her.

"Gods, child, have you grown Goron muscles?" Impa asked wryly, hugging Zelda back briefly, then prying herself loose as gently as she could. "From what Renato tells me, you should be a limp rag after the evening you had."

"I slept amazingly well, considering," Zelda replied, blushing faintly. "I had dreams unlike..." she looked at Impa again, jaw slack. "Wait, Renato?"

This time, Impa threw her arms around Zelda. "My son," she whispered, tears falling on the princess' shoulder. _That's impossible. Impa doesn't cry._ "You saved my son. I..." Impa released her, stepping back and casually wiping one eye. "He helped us, Zelda. He appeared while Fanadi and I were dealing with a pack of Poes and helped us dispatch them. It was astonishing. He moved like Link." She folded her arms and gazed in a much more Impa-like manner at the princess. "You wouldn't know anything about that."

Zelda grinned, feeling more confident than she ever had under that withering gaze. "You'll have to take that up with your son, _sensei._ I wouldn't dream of interfering."

"Of course you wouldn't," Impa drawled. "Well, you can stop worrying a hole in your floor again." Zelda snorted at that, but looked away all the same. "You can't fool me, heart's daughter. Besides, once we were clear, he told us of how you and...the Hero...took incredible risks for him." The Sheikah shook her head. "I should chide you for that."

"Risks?" Zelda sat in her desk chair, glancing guiltily at the sword still stuck in the other one. "Link took all the risks. I just told him how." She distractedly shuffled a few papers. "The Sheikah?"

"We lost one," Impa said, the faintest hint of regret in her voice, "but considering the danger and the odds, saving over twenty was a miracle in itself." The bodyguard placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Twenty-five Sheikah in all, counting Renato, when Hyrule needs us most. That cannot be coincidence."

Zelda nodded. "I know, and I'm grateful." She put her hand on Impa's. "I'm so glad you're safe I can hardly tell you. I'm just...my mind's all jumbled. I should be grieving, or, or worrying. I should be planning, getting soldiers and sorcerers ready. All I can think of, though..." she blushed again, roses blooming on her cheeks.

"All you can...oho!" Impa laughed. "So it finally came out, did it?" She leaned over, glancing down at the princess with a cunning grin. "I trust you expressed yourself suitably?"

"Gods, Impa, do you have to be so...Sheikah right now?" Zelda's fingers twitched impotently on her notes. "I thought I had some idea what I was doing to Link. I was wrong." She bit her lip. "Is it wrong to look forward to making it up to him?" she asked in a chagrined whisper, eyes flickering over to her mentor.

Impa chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Not at all, dear one." She gestured at the sword. "Come. There is much to do, and I'm sure that when the time comes for you to face it, your mind will become clear."

"I wish I shared your confidence," Zelda muttered. She gestured, and the sword returned to her hand. By humming a few bars of her Lullaby, she repaired the damaged chair. Then she called the scabbard to her side, hooking it on her belt with a thought, sheathed the blade, and strode to the door. Impa heeled her, emotions vanishing under the Sheikah veil, and Zelda stepped out to face her duty, and Hyrule's fate.

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#Link, get up!#

_I'm coming..._

#Hey! C'mon!#

_Zelda..._

Navi grinned. #Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?#

"Wh..." Link rubbed his eyes and peered out blearily. Navi was floating right in front of him, leaning insouciantly on his nose. "Navi, for the love of Nayru, five more minutes."

"You've been asleep for twelve hours," Navi said with a giggle. "Sure, you earned it, and Zelda was, um, pretty adamant about letting you rest, but she said I could get you up now, so up you get!"

Link sat bolt upright. "Zelda! Is she okay?'

"Okay!" Navi laughed outright at that. "Her father had to order her to bed, she kept wandering around the castle with this moonstruck look in her eyes!" The fairy clasped her hands and made big, adoring eyes. "Oh, Link, sigh, he's so amazing, sigh, I'm so lucky, sigh," she said, then laughed musically again.

"She did not do that," Link whispered, eyes bulging. _I...that was real. It happened._ He touched his lips in amazement.

"Well, we are talking about Zelda here," Navi said with a chuckle. "She can even moon over a guy with dignity. Otherwise, yeah, more or less."

Link swallowed. "Farore. Her father's going to kill me." He rubbed his face tiredly, though strength began to slowly flow back into his body. "I can't believe I did that." The Hero remembered Zelda's eyes, pleading to him. He coughed. "Okay, I guess I can, but I can't believe I was so..."

"You know what I can't believe? That you didn't do it two years ago," Navi snorted. "Okay, you were a little young in the Water Temple, but-"

"Din, Nayru and Farore!" Link blurted, standing suddenly. "Don't you have any shame at all?"

Navi glanced up and down at the Hero, who looked down and blushed wildly. He was in nothing but his smallclothes. "Nuh-uh," she giggled, then flew into his hat. Link reached for the hat where it sat on the night table, then grumbled and pulled his hand back, dressing perfunctorily. His Kokiri tunic was in one piece, as it always was in spite of what he put it through, but he'd apparently been given an entirely new suit of skintight white mail. _Gods only know what's left of the last set,_ he thought wryly, wondering how he'd avoided tearing apart the one he'd emerged from his years-long sleep in the first time through. _Gift of the gods?_

He shook his head and strapped on his sword and shield. _Later. Navi's right. Time to go back to work._ Pulling on his hat to a satisfying lack of fairy complaints, he threw open his door and stepped into the corridor. The Hero looked around. _I...have no idea where I am,_ he realized with chagrin. Link laughed. _I just defeated more villains in one day than most heroes face in a lifetime, but I'm lost in a castle I've known for years. The gods have quite a sense of humor._

"Well, well, well," Lady Veran said, voice rich and deep. Link froze. "All this time I wondered at the princess'...interest." Link turned and smiled weakly, making as good a leg as he could manage. "What brings you to the nobles' quarter, Hero?"

_Nobles? Light and Time!_ Link rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh, I woke up here, Lady Veran," he said apologetically. Navi grumbled furiously in his hat. #Love of Nayru, Navi, not now.# He nodded and stepped to one side. "If you'll excuse me, Your Excellency, I'll just, um, actually I'm kind of lost."

Veran stepped in front of him and slowly advanced. Link backpedaled in shock, eyes slowly widening. "Oh, clearly." Her smile reminded Link of a Wolfos on the hunt. He swallowed hard. "Perhaps I can provide some guidance." Link stopped hard when his back hit a wall, but Veran kept stalking towards him until there was less than a pace between them, and then she put an immaculately manicured hand on his chest. "Such a ferocious warrior, yet you know your place far better than most give you credit for."

"A pity that many nobles of the court lack that instinct," Zelda hissed.

_Zelda! Thank the gods!_ Link smiled again, stepping aside and away from Lady Veran. "If - if you'll excuse me, Your Excellency, I'm sure Her Highness was looking for me..." He edged towards the Sage of Time. The princess' gaze was locked onto the Lady Councillor, and if she'd been a Beamos, Veran would have been obliterated on the spot. It took an act of will for the Hero to not step behind Zelda.

"Your Highness," Veran replied coolly, bowing in a very formal and proper manner. "I was providing some direction. It seems your Hero was...misplaced."

"The only things _misplaced_ here are your attentions, Lady Veran." Link could almost feel the frost emanation from Zelda's voice. "Good day." Veran smiled mirthlessly, nodded another slight bow, and withdrew down another corridor. Immediately, Zelda devoured the distance to her Hero, looking him over intently and running her fingers over his chest. "Are you all right? She didn't - you didn't feel any sorcery, did you?"

Link chuckled. "Farore, no. I don't know _what_ she was doing, but I don't think it was magical." Zelda nodded in relief.

Then the Hero realized that her hands were still on his chest. Their eyes met. Zelda licked her lips. _Gods, she's so adorable when she does that,_ he thought, heart swelling. He wanted to take her hands in his own, but her eyes pinned him utterly. "You - you don't know what she was doing," Zelda breathed. The Hero blinked, train of thought crashing to a halt.

"Hey, what do you expect, he was raised by a race of children," Navi noted pointedly. Zelda blushed from cheeks to eartips, then pulled her hands back.

Link looked up at his hat. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked. Navi laughed uproariously at that. Zelda stared down at her feet and clutched her skirts, looking unaccountably abashed. "Zel, what's wrong? I do know she was up to no good." He forced a grin quickly. "Isn't Veran one of those 'no-good stuck-up snobs' you go on about?"

Zelda chuckled at that. "Link, she's the personification of the no-good stuck-up snob." She gasped and clapped both hands over her mouth. "You didn't hear that from me."

"Did so," Link quipped back, the years of strife fading for a moment. "You pointed right at her."

"I - no way," Zelda replied, folding her arms. Link laughed. The princess brought one hand up again, veiling her lips. "Farore. Did I?" Link nodded, still chuckling.

The princess cleared her throat, then gathered her dignity, straightened, and brushed her hair back. "I can never express my gratitude for all you have done, both for me personally and for Hyrule," she began with deliberate formality.

"Saving me from Veran was a good start," Link quipped.

"Link, please," Zelda whispered, taking his hand and squeezing it. He could see her eyes filling with genuine concern. "There's still Ganondorf to face. It's not over yet."

All the relief and humor drained from Link in seconds. _Gods be good. All that was just a probing assault._ He nodded grimly, squeezing her hand back. "Let's go."

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His Majesty Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, High King of the lands of the Hylians, Gorons and Zoras, exhaled in irritation.

"This is intolerable!" Lenzo insisted, pounding the table with one fist. "After all of the Hero's sacrifices, after all our wizards' efforts, after everything Hyrule has been through during these long years since Link's arrival to protect these 'streams,' we are supposed to believe that Ganondorf may draw monsters from the past and future with impunity? Where is the Arbiter in all of this?" Half the councillors looked at Lenzo with varying degrees of surprise. _I cannot blame them,_ Daphnes thought, _yet his ardor is entirely understandable. That is indeed inexcusable. Yet..._

"And what do you propose to do about it, Master Wizard?" Veran asked silkily, leaning back in her chair. She steepled her fingers and gazed over them at the great enchanter. _She is correct, of course, yet I know that gaze. Veran sees some advantage in this,_ the king thought grumpily. _Even so, I cannot imagine what. My mind slows as I age._ "The Arbiter has proven beyond our ability to contact, let alone confront. Now that Ganondorf has the Triforce of Power, perhaps he is beyond even the Arbiter's ability to restrain."

"Clearly, even the so-called 'King of Evil' has his limits," Onox put in bluntly. "Whatever violations he may have committed against Time, Hyrule yet stands. A flamboyant waste of mana that cost our forces but little, and regained us the Sheikah." He leaned forward, eyes harder than steel. "It is time for us to take the offensive, while he is still recovering."

"Need I remind you," Zelda cut in pointedly, "that we, too, are still recovering? The city's defenses have been compromised, the Goron and Zora militaries are in near-chaos, Nabooru's forces are ready to collapse even with the reinforcements we sent - reinforcements we could just barely afford, might I add - and until Lon Lon is secure, it is an enemy encampment waiting to happen."

"War necessitates risk, Your Royal Highness," the Lord General replied curtly. "This Gerudo King has severely overextended himself, and suffered losses beyond counting as a result." He gestured at the map, waving his hand over the image of the Gerudo Fortress. "A lightning strike on the Gerudo stronghold will devastate his most valuable units and provide us a base from which to advance."

The Hero, who had been staring bleakly at the map throughout the conversation, looked up in horror at that. "Are you insane, Lord General?" he whispered. "I've seen that fortress. I've been inside it. Without some sort of aerial transportation or enough mana to teleport an entire army by Farore's Wind, you'll never get through the pass. Even if you did, there are two narrow bridges between us and them, and beyond that they have the high ground. It'd be a slaughter."

"A familiar conversation," Daphnes noted, forcing his voice to mildness. _Onox and his obsession. Farore._

The general frowned deeply. "What would you do then, Kokiri?" he rumbled, his gauntlet clanking into a fist. "Waiting here is asking to be slaughtered ourselves."

The Hero paused, gazing at the map for a long moment. "Now that the border wards have been reinforced, that pass works both ways. Look." He stood, took a Deku Stick and 'drew' a circle around the entrance. "The garrison there was untouched during the assault. With just a few reinforcements including knights, psychics and sorcerers, they could hold this pass against Ganondorf himself for weeks. Give them some support on the sides," he continued, pointing at the mountains on either side, "to protect them from Skulltulas and Stalfos coming over the ridges, and they'll never get a serious force into Hyrule." He smiled humorlessly. "Eventually, Ganondorf will lose patience and enter the pass himself...and we can finally end this." The smile vanished, and the Hero made a fist of his own. "One way or another." Zelda put her hand on his, her fingers trembling just faintly, and his fist relaxed.

Daphnes forced himself not to smile. "An excellent plan, Hero, save for one analysis with which I disagree," he said evenly. "King Ganondorf has proven his patience and resolve over the past seven years. I find it unlikely he would give in to foolish impulse now."

"I understand your misgivings, Your Majesty," Link replied, "but I don't think he would see it as foolish impulse. Gods, I'm not sure I do." He sat heavily. "Sooner or later, we're going to have to face one another. That pass will be as good a place as any for it." The Hero looked across the wide round table with a strength Daphnes was sure only Link himself doubted. "I don't claim any special skill or power compared to any of Hyrule's great knights and wizards...except for this." He patted the Master Sword's hilt. "It's the one thing Ganondorf can't just force his way past, no matter how powerful he is."

Master Potho leaned forward, drooping moustache quivering as he breathed. "It is as you say, young Hero, yet surely Ganondorf knows this. Undoubtedly he would prefer to choose his own ground."

Suddenly, Zelda stood. "Then we must choose the ground instead." She smiled half-apologetically to the Hero. "Master Link's plan is a good one aside from this one concern, but that one concern is clearly the primary issue." At that, she nodded to General Onox respectfully. "Also, the Lord General is right that we must take the battle to Ganondorf, though the Hero's point about the Fortress is all too valid." She pointed to the mountains between Hyrule Castle and the Gerudo Valley, following a line to a sketched-in plain outside Hyrule's borders. "That makes the pass to Altea our best chance."

Onox snorted. "The pass is several months from completion. While small caravans can use it, attempting to bring the main force of our army through would be madness."

Zelda smiled and gestured at the river. "Who said anything about bringing _our_ entire army through the pass? We send our elite units across the pass. The Zoras follow the river and join us near the Altea/Gerudo border, here." Next, she tapped Goron City with her finger. "The highest peaks cannot slow the people of stone. Only the leadership of their militaries were disrupted by the recent attacks, not their courage, skill or resolve." Suddenly, she slapped the table with a force that surprised even her father. "Ganondorf thinks he faces a land divided. I say we prove him wrong."

Daphnes couldn't stop a hint of pride from quirking up the corners of his mouth. Link was beaming in open admiration. Even Onox nodded reluctantly. "It could work," he rumbled. "Much would depend on the force holding the pass, however." He snorted. "More to the point, your plan clearly requires the Hero to join the Altean force and face Ganondorf. While I do not count him or his Master Sword as indispensable in either endeavor, the garrison is going to require significant magical defense in addition to sheer force of arms. The presence of genuine Hylian authority is also necessary for a variety of reasons, and the Hero cannot fill that function regardless."

"I know," Zelda replied, her eyes hardening. _I see,_ Daphnes thought, watching his daughter carefully. The Hero's adulation was already fading into worry; the king was certain he saw the same thing Daphnes did. "Clearly, someone capable of holding the defensive position together must remain at the pass, and you, Lord General, cannot be spared from the offensive any more than the Hero." Onox nodded a bow at that. "Therefore, I will lead the defense."

The table erupted in protest for approximately the three seconds Daphnes decided it would take for the shock to sink in. Then, channeling mana into his arm, he slapped the table hard enough to crack it. "Silence!" he roared. _Farore be thanked,_ he thought with ironic humor when they all stopped as one. "As much as I would wish my only daughter, the Crown Princess, to remain safely at the castle, the offensive can no more spare Hyrule's greatest wizard than it can the Hero of Time or the Lord General." Zelda opened her mouth. "Therefore, I will lead the defense myself." A speechless Zelda closed her mouth, dumbstruck. _I ought to be ashamed at that,_ he thought, feeling none at all over the satisfaction he got from that sight. "That is my royal decision. It is not open to debate." _And that should forestall both the Hero's self-sacrificing nature and Lady Veran's Din-seared scheming._ He glanced at his old friend Potho, who appeared deeply worried to the king's experienced gaze, but the advisor loyally said nothing. Finally, he looked at Zelda again, who was still staring at him, stunned. "A brilliant plan, daughter. You have learned well."

"I had an excellent teacher," she whispered.

Daphnes nodded in acceptance of the compliment. "Well. Unless anyone can poke holes in this remarkable strategy, we leave at soon as we receive assent from our allies." The king stood, and everyone followed suit. "Send messengers to King Marth, Brother Darunia and Princess Ruto immediately. You are all dismissed."

Mistress Agitha, still clearly in shock, spoke in a voice that was at once mechanical and as shaken as a leaf in a gale. "By royal command, this session of the Council of Hyrule is adjourned. You have His Majesty's permission to depart." Daphnes strode from the room, leaving through the inward door. The long, wide corridor to the throne room stretched before the king, its rich red carpet seeming the color of blood for an instant.

Potho heeled him dutifully, Zelda not far behind. _I wonder what the Hero just did,_ he mused idly. _Luda would have followed me, were I in Zelda's place and she in his._ A fond smile salved the pain of a tear of grief. _Then again, she was always less concerned about propriety than most._

The moment the door closed behind Zelda, she strode to his left, as Potho walked at his right. "Father, you cannot be serious," she said quietly.

"Why not?" Daphnes replied lightly. "I am usually a serious monarch, though seeing you so happy puts me in a finer temper than I've been in years."

"For once, Father, this has nothing to do with Link," Zelda said with a bluntness he hadn't heard from her since she was a child. "I know you have overcome many trials in your time, but you have not faced battle in over a decade!"

"At least you didn't say 'with all due respect,'" he quipped. Zelda scowled at him and folded her arms. Daphnes stopped, forced his strange fey mood away, and looked at his daughter with all his royal force. The other two stopped as well. "Zelda, you know you cannot be separated from the Hero now. Love of Nayru, _I_ know it. Why else do you think I'm not ordering you to remain here?"

"You mean aside from the fact that you could not possibly keep me here?" Zelda muttered, even her mutinous tone subdued. She looked away. "Father..."

Daphnes put his arm around her shoulder, and she hugged him fiercely. _Gods. When was the last time I did this? Was it really seven years ago?_ "I know, my beloved Zelda. I am ashamed that I have not shown you either the love or respect you deserve. You do not want to lose me, nor I you." He squeezed her just a bit more tightly, and she sobbed so quietly he almost missed it. "I will not promise you that I will return. I can promise you that I do not go to die." Daphnes stopped, took her shoulder, and gently turned both her and himself until he faced her. "Zelda, whether I live or die...there comes a time in every father's life when he must let his child go." He smiled gently. "If he is very lucky, that child goes into the arms of someone worthy."

At that, she threw herself into his arms and wept openly. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I'm not blind, my dear," he said a touch hoarsely. "Now." Daphnes took her shoulders again and disentangled himself from Zelda as gently as he'd embraced her. "Dry your eyes." He put a hand under her chin and drew her gaze into his. "I've fought more battles than you might think, and I bring some of the greatest heroes Hyrule has ever known with me. I'm not dead yet, and I mean to teach that arrogant Gerudo tyrant a thing or two about 'grassland weaklings.' All right?" Zelda nodded and wiped her eyes. "Promise me you'll be as careful as you can, and I'll do the same. Agreed?"

"Done," she said, taking his hand quickly and firmly. Daphnes chuckled at that, then grew serious as she bowed deeply. "Your Majesty."

"Princess," he replied, proud and fond all at once, and she withdrew. He resumed walking down the corridor, Potho again following.

The Councillor coughed politely once Zelda was gone. "You do intend to return, I take it, Sire?"

"Potho, old friend, I have been ready for death since the moment Ganondorf unleashed his flame on me, but I am a Nohansen," Daphnes rumbled. "When the reaper takes me, I mean to come at him sword first, and may the old goat choke on me."

"Heh. Now that sounds like the Daphnes I fought beside." Potho gripped the king's shoulder with a strength his age belied. The ancient advisor looked away then. "Still, this is the most dangerous thing you've done since...well, since Luda had to rescue you last. Are your preparations up to date?"

Daphnes took a long breath. "For the most part, yes. There is a note I need to write to Zelda, a few things to have brought out of storage." He glanced out a window. "Oh, and make sure the Hero visits me after dark. I'll meet him in the observatory."

"The observatory, Sire?" Potho asked.

"Nayru's Heart rises tonight," the king said quietly. Potho nodded knowingly and withdrew. _You'd be so proud of her, Luda,_ he thought suddenly, realizing he was at the door to the throne room. He opened it and gazed on the seat of power that had been his for decades. _Whether she takes it tomorrow or a century from now, be assured, my love, that she is ready._

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"Hah!" Impa barked, lunging. Zelda parried with her slender blade and floated back, literally sliding through the air away from the Sheikah. The princess spun, skirt flaring, then lunged, flying like a living spear at her mentor.

Impa vanished, appearing above Zelda and landing on her forcefully. Their collision knocked the wind out of the Time Sage and sent them both to the ground. "Interesting tactic, Zelda, but sloppy execution."

"I'm still working out the kinks," she replied wryly. "Better I fail here against you than in battle with Kotake or Ganondorf." Zelda shuddered, then slapped the garden ground. _Indeed,_ Impa agreed mentally, standing carefully. She then gave the princess a hand up. "I still have my Sheikah training," Zelda continued slowly, "but..."

Impa nodded. "I understand. Your true self is Zelda, not Sheik." She put a hand on Zelda's shoulder and smiled with pride. "Nor would I wish it otherwise." Zelda dimpled as she smiled back, looking down. "Still, perhaps you should use your Sheikah knife," the Sheikah continued, expression and tone becoming even as one. "You have clearly learned much from the Hero, yet your erratic lessons in swordsmanship are hardly equal to years of dedicated training."

"Sheik's training," Zelda sighed. "I've tried to use the knife in this, Impa. Look-" She gestured, and the _nodachi_ appeared in her hand. She moved into the Zora Stance, knife held back against her arm defensively. "I'm ridiculous like this." The princess straightened and shook her head.

"Hardly," Impa replied, looking the princess over expertly, "but I do see your point. That dress is more appropriate to a wizard, though I cannot imagine how you would fight more skillfully in it with a sword than the _nodachi."_

Zelda chuckled, sending the knife back to fairy space. "It's like a dance." She rubbed the back of her neck in a very familiar way. "On the other hand, Sheik doesn't have a tenth of 'my' wizardry, and we'll need that more than her Sheikah arts when we face Ganondorf."

Impa nodded. "Follow me," she said, turning and walking back into the castle. Zelda stared for a moment, then obeyed. They threaded through the castle followed by stares and bows, until they reached a workshop Zelda had only visited a few times in her life.

"Master Lenzo?" She looked at the door, perplexity clear to Impa's eyes. "I don't understand." Impa opened the door, and the princess covered her mouth with one hand to hide the smile. Doc Bandam was puttering around the laboratory, muttering to himself while he worked on a concoction that looked grayish-brown.

"Doctor," Impa said simply, and the alchemist bolted upright.

"What - oh, it's you," he said bluntly. "Yeah yeah, it's ready," he added, walking over to a chest while still muttering. "How did she do it? Even Lenzo's precious catalyst doesn't turn a red/green mix into blue..."

Shaking her head in amazement, Zelda turned to Impa again. _"Sensei,_ what...?" The Sheikah put a finger to her lips, and her student dutifully held back her questions.

"Anyway, it probably isn't the prettiest outfit in Hyrule," Bandam barked suddenly, opening the chest and pulling out a pile of blue and white clothes, "but it'll do the job." Zelda stared. _It is good to know I can still surprise her on occasion,_ Impa thought with mild amusement. "Got the same enchanted mail as the Hero here," he explained, holding up a white glove, "merges with the torso of course, and the robe, dress, whatever ya want to call it," he continued, putting down the glove and picking up the sleeveless riding dress, "you've got yer apron thing here with the magical heraldry, but this part's my favorite." He pulled up the 'apron,' which was attached at the high waistline and was shorter than usual, to display the skirt. "It's split for riding, which I figure you'll be doing, and it'll only come down to about your knees..." he looked at the princess' legs with a casual demeanor that annoyed Impa faintly, but didn't seem to disturb Zelda, "but it gathers mana like a full wizard's robe. Symbols're stitched to the inside, and the whole thing's got my patented never-needs-fixing, practically indestructible _and_ self-repairing additive work."

"He got the idea," Impa replied dryly, "from Link's apparently symbiotic relationship with his Kokiri tunic."

Apparently reminded by the mention of Link, Bantam picked up a pair of boots with golden soles. "Oh, yeah, and ya got a pair of Lenzo's updated Hover Boots, too. Oughta help you fly some, bein' a wizard and all."

Zelda looked between Impa and Bandam for a moment. Then she threw her arms around Impa and hugged her ferociously. Impa draped a gentle arm around Zelda in kind.

Bandam looked between the two for several seconds. Finally, he swallowed and said, "Uh, she's not gonna do that to me, is she?"

Zelda laughed. Even Impa smiled. "Only if you ask nicely," the Sheikah replied dryly.

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"HAH!"

"SEI-YAH!"

Renato and Link charged at each other, Sheikah knives meeting Master Sword and Hylian Shield. Both warriors turned into blurs, one green and the other blue, and weapons struck so quickly that between the two of them it sounded like an army marching.

After just over a minute, however, Link flowed into Renato's defense and spun, knocking the blades in either direction. Both young men froze, Link's sword poised to slash through his opponent's neck. He grinned shyly and sheathed the legendary sword. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

"You beat me in under two minutes," Renato pointed out, holding out his hands. The _kodachi_ returned to them, flying through the air. "As skilled as you are, Hero, I can do better than that."

"You were holding back," Link replied, shrugging and letting himself fall into the grass of the practice field. He folded his hands behind his head and let himself relax.

Renato chuckled, but didn't smile. "And you were not?" Smoothly, he sat cross-legged next to the Hero of Time.

"Well, yeah. We're using live steel, we've got to be careful." Link shrugged and gestured vaguely at the young Sheikah's weapons. "Besides, you can't be used to that. Those. Why two?"

"I am used," Renato said dryly, "to your fighting style. This is the closest I can manage." He looked down. "Link...not once have you mentioned our true battle."

"That wasn't you," Link replied simply. "That was Ganondorf and...well, me. My - I guess you could call it my pain, my hunger. My Shadow." He gazed into the sky, eyes flickering from cloud to cloud. "Anyway, I think you were holding back more than I was." The Hero chuckled. "Somehow, I doubt that'll be a problem against Ganondorf's thugs."

"No," Renato drawled in agreement. A moment later, he smiled faintly. _Gods, almost exactly like Impa's,_ Link thought. "You and Zelda love my mother very much, don't you?"

_Where did that come from?_ The Hero looked at Renato sharply, then sat up. "Yes. In a lot of ways, she's been Zelda's mother too." Crimson eyes glanced into azure, then away. Link looked back at Renato for a moment, then continued. "Love of Nayru, she's been half a mother to me the last few years." Link laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "My relationship with Saria - the Kokiri who mostly raised me - is kind of complicated. She's part mom, part big sister and part best friend. Now, on top of that, she's the Forest Sage, and pretty much the only Sage who can't beat the tar out of most of what Ganondorf can throw at them. So I'm kind of her big brother now." He shook his head. "Which is weird for me."

Renato rubbed the back of his neck in a very familiar way, though his expression seemed to...'clash' was the only word that came to Link's mind. The young Sheikah frowned, seeming distant. "You are confiding in me more than I expected." He looked away, toying with a piece of grass before pulling it out. "Then again, I suppose any confidence is more than I expected."

Link put a hand on Renato's shoulder. "One more time - that wasn't you, okay?" He smiled at the white-haired teen and offered his hand. "Look, I 'forgive' you for being brainwashed by the most evil sorceress alive while you were a year old. Shake?"

"I...maybe you will understand," Renato said slowly. "I don't know if anyone can, but you have experienced so much, perhaps...have you ever lived part of your life as a dream? _In_ a dream?"

The Hero stared in shock for a moment, then laughed outright. "Renato, you have no idea."

"I think I do. Everything good in my childhood, I lived in my mother's dreams." Renato smiled again, that secret Sheikah grin that reminded Link of Impa, while the Hero went from staring to outright gawking. "Even Kotake couldn't take that away from us. She immersed me in Shadow, but she couldn't take the Sage of Shadow from me." Renato looked down in surprise, then, the hand still there. "Are you sure?"

Link laughed at that and nodded, and on what the Hero would have thought an impulse from someone else, his friend took it. "That's better," Link said firmly. He chuckled then and looked into the sky. "Huh."

"What?" Renato asked.

"I don't have a lot of male friends," he explained. "There's Marth, mainly, but he's three years older and the king of the country next door, so he's..." Link shrugged. "...busy. A lot." His smile vanished. "Especially since Ganondorf's on his doorstep too."

"We will defeat him," Renato said. Link glanced at him again. "We will, because we must." The Hero nodded.

Quill jogged over to the pair. "Hey," Link called, and the messenger bowed.

"A letter from the king, Hero of Time," Quill said formally, handing Link the folded, sealed paper.

Renato leaned over to looked at the seal. "A lion? Is the Phoenix not the symbol of Hyrule?"

"It is," Link replied, equally surprised. "The red lion is King Nohansen's personal seal. I think he has a ring he uses to mark the hot wax. Sounds uncomfortable."

"Says the Hero who just fought four, five epic foes in a single day?" Renato noted dryly.

Quill shuffled in place slightly. "The wax is not excessively heated, Lord Hero."

The Hero nodded absently to Quill, ignored Renato, and opened the letter. "Huh." He scanned its brief contents quickly. "Huh."

"Well?" Renato prodded.

"The king wants to see me in the observatory tonight." Link swallowed and rubbed his neck. "Maybe he does want to kill me after all."

Both other men chuckled at that. "Unlikely, Lord Hero," Quill commented, "seeing as you are currently indispensable to the kingdom's defense."

"Will you stop calling me that," Link muttered. "'Master Link' is bad enough, but I gave up on that one years ago. When did I get lorded?"

Quill bowed deeply. "When you saved Her Royal Highness _after_ a day that would have killed any other ten men, my Lord Hero."

"And they didn't even invite you to the 'lording' ceremony," Renato quipped.

"For the love of Nayru," Link sighed. "I'm going to go see Zelda and find out if we've gotten word from the other monarchs yet." He walked off into the castle, Renato chuckling and even Quill fighting off a faint laugh or two. _I guess I ought to be glad he even _can _laugh,_ Link thought, his annoyance - fairly weak to begin with - vanishing in moments. Navigating the lower levels of the castle with an ease that his morning dilemma belied, he quickly reached Zelda's garden.

Nothing.

"Farore," he said without heat. _I really need to let her teach me psychic abilities._ He took a long, deep breath. _Gods willing, we'll have plenty of time for that after this is all over._

"...more afraid of that than anything, Impa," Zelda's voice echoed from the opposite corridor. Link cleared his throat to speak.

"We all need each other at times," Impa replied evenly. "It tore my heart to see you and he in the Shadow Temple, doing a duty that was mine, but it had to be done and Bongo Bongo was beyond me."

"Even after what happened, I can't..." the princess paused, and Link could all but see her shake her head. "Din burn the Shadow Beast. What if Ganondorf captures me again? One moment of weakness, and I was nothing more than bait to that tyrant." There was almost a growl in her voice at that point. Link opened his mouth again, but Zelda continued. "I can't let that happen again, Impa. I _won't."_

"No matter the consequences?" Impa asked quietly. Zelda's stride softened. "I believe in you, my child. I believe that when the Hero makes his stand, so will you. Yet more than anything else, now is the time to face our fears. Perhaps that is why so much rides on he who wields the Triforce of Courage..."

They were in the garden. It took them no time at all to see Link standing there, practically paralyzed. Zelda, wearing an odd but clever-looking blue dress over white mail identical to his own, smiled in embarrassment and waved, Link responding in almost identical fashion. Impa hid her reaction behind her mask of Sheikah calm. "I, um, I was wondering if there had been any word," Link said softly.

"Ruto was almost insulted Daphnes felt the need to ask," Impa commented evenly. "No word from Darunia or Marth, but the Elder Brother is likely still recovering from his wounds and the Altean cannot communicate through a Spiritual Stone." She bowed. "By your leave, Zelda, I will give you what privacy I can." With that, the Sheikah vanished.

Zelda and Link looked at each other for a long moment, then glanced down shyly as one. Neither looked entirely away, however, and each slowly moved forward toward the other. "She probably wants to make sure there aren't any more uninvited guests to the garden," the princess said.

"Considering the only guy to get in here since me is on our side now," Link quipped quietly, "I don't think we have to worry about it." He tried to make himself stand still, but his feet simply wouldn't obey.

Zelda nodded absently. "We'll probably get word from Altea by tomorrow. They have these birds they've trained to carry messages, almost as fast as mana-gifted runners. I'm sure we'll hear from Darunia before then." She shuffled a few more inches towards him.

The Hero cleared his throat again and tugged his belt up. "Going to march as soon as we get word?"

"Before," she replied with a shake of her head. "I have faith in Marth and Darunia, and we're going to need every second of surprise we can muster. First light." Zelda's fingers played nervously in front of her waist. "I wish I could say I was confident, but so many things could go wrong."

"You're going to do great," Link gushed. "You thought of the one thing Ganondorf won't - unity." Mind seizing up then, he gestured vaguely up and down at her. "You look good. By the way." He smiled, feeling suddenly like his skin was a size too tight. "Beautiful."

"You think so?" Zelda smiled back, looking somehow both demure and regal in spite of her strange war-wizard's garb. She did a little twirl, almost like a ballerina, and Link's body threatened to lock up entirely. He could smell the jasmine on her. "Impa came up with it."

"It...suits you," he said finally. Zelda dimpled, her smile outshining the sun to his eyes. Then her eyes widened, both of them realizing they were less than a pace apart. Slowly, he took her hand; slowly, she squeezed his. They leaned into each other, and her lips brushed his.

Unable to stand it any more, Link kissed her fiercely. Even in his inexperience, he was hardly surprised to feel her fingers gripping his hair, pulling him closer to her. _As if that were possible,_ the sliver of his mind that still worked noted wryly. Time vanished, and they were eternally one for an instant that could barely be measured.

"We..." Zelda gasped when their lips parted. "...we shouldn't, there's so much to do, so much that's happened..."

It was harder than tearing the Mask off, but he managed to lean away from her. "Yes," he breathed. "You're right, this isn't appropriate now." Arms trembling, he gently began to extract himself from her.

All at once, fires lit in Zelda's eyes. "Din sear 'appropriate,'" she half-sobbed, and threw herself into him again, her own kiss even fiercer than his had been. Matching her intensity was no challenge at all, two lifetimes of restraint fatiguing the iron of his will far past breaking. "Promise me something," she whispered when she could speak again. "Whatever happens, we face it together."

Link trembled and held her tightly. "I don't know if you can be part of my duel with Ganondorf..." Zelda nodded at that, a strange air of ferocious reluctance about her, "...but no matter what, we'll be together in every way that matters."

"That's all I can ask," she replied. Her fingers clutched at the back of his tunic. "Tell me you love me."

The Hero almost laughed at that. "I love you," he whispered. "I live for you. I die for you and live again, as many times as I must. All the evil in creation cannot break our bond."

Zelda did laugh, then. "You proved that well enough," she said gently, looking into his eyes and stroking his cheek lovingly. _Those eyes,_ he thought, heart near to bursting. "And I love you, Link, more than I thought possible. We're going to get through this, and our lost time will mean nothing to the future we'll have." She paused, glancing down and biting her lip for a moment, then looked back up, smile strengthening. "No, it will remind us to cherish every moment we have together."

Somehow, he did laugh then. "Ganondorf doesn't have a chance." The princess pulled off the mail gloves suddenly, then caressed his cheek again, holding him gently. He removed his gauntlet and put his hand on hers. "We _are_ going to get through this, Zel. I don't know how, but we will." Then, nothing left to say, he kissed her again. _Even we only have so much time, and I mean to treasure it, no matter how much there is._

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"Yes!" Navi exulted, whirling around Impa excitedly.

"We're trying to be discreet, Navi," Impa commented quietly.

Navi flew up to rest on Impa's nose. "Aw, he's used to ignoring me," she said wryly. "Besides, however close you are to Zelda, I doubt you've been in her head every minute of every day for eight years feeling _her_ pine for _him."_

"No, just once a week or so," Impa replied, matching Navi's wry tone. "Our shared sense of satisfaction is well-earned, Navi, and I am not saying otherwise. I'm simply noting that we shouldn't ruin it by distracting them."

Navi snorted. "I think you could drop Darunia on them and play Saria's Song, and they wouldn't even notice that." She flew up when Impa wrinkled her nose, alighting on her shoulder. "So now what? I don't think we need to worry about them going any 'farther,' if you know what I mean."

"He does not know what that entails, I presume," Impa said.

"Well, he has helped birth some foals and calves over at Lon Lon," Navi replied lightly. "Don't get me wrong, Link's got a stomach like mana-hardened steel. Especially for a boy." She shrugged. "But Kokiri are produced by the Great Deku Tree. Kinda like fruit."

"That is an image I'll never be rid of," Impa quipped. "It seems clear that someone must have a...motherly talk with the lad." She smiled briefly, a flicker of humor that died quickly. "Assuming we survive the battle ahead." _That is a complication we can deal with once Ganondorf is no more._ The Sheikah regarded the pair with penetrating eyes. "On the other hand, while Zelda's knowledge is entirely theoretical, I have explained such matters to her in detail."

"Okay, speaking of images we didn't want..." Navi replied, chuckling in spite of herself.

Impa regarded the fairy casually. "Turnabout," she said, voice as dry as the Wasteland. "Besides, what do you intend to do when they inevitably...wed?"

All at once, Navi radiated sadness. "Can we talk about that later?" she asked quietly.

"I see." Impa crouched and looked back at Link and Zelda. They were still embracing. "There is nothing that can be done, I take it?"

"Lousy no-good Sheikah sight..." Navi grumbled. She sat heavily - or at least as heavily as a fairy can - on Impa's shoulder. "I said later, okay?" At that, Impa nodded. Navi was silent for a long moment. _Sheikah know better than most that life is unfair,_ Impa thought, the fairy's mood infecting her, _but sometimes I wonder who wove the Hero's destiny._ Finally, Navi stood again, tapping her foot on Impa. "Hey, Impa? You said you taught Zelda, right?" Impa nodded. "Could Zelda...teach Link?"

"Ahem." Impa fought back a wry chuckle. "Perhaps you should rejoin the Hero." Navi flew into the air, bobbed a nod, and shot down, flying under Link's hat. As the fairy had predicted, neither youth apparently noticed. She waited a few moments longer, then formed a kuji-in she had not used in nearly two decades. #Fanadi?#

#Ah - Impa?# Fanadi replied.

#Please send two Sheikah to watch over the princess and Hero. Make sure they can be discreet.# Impa stood.

Fanadi projected annoyed amusement. #We are still Sheikah, Sage of Shadow.#

#Good.# Impa nodded and pressed her hands together again. #I must see my son before tomorrow.#

#I see,# Fanadi 'pathed, annoyance giving way to simple good humor. #All things considered, he turned out surprisingly well.#

Her kuji-in froze in mid-manifestation. #Yes. That is what I must see him about.# With that, she completed the gesture and vanished.

The Shadow seemed colder than usual when the High Sheikah flickered through it. _It knows the end is coming,_ she realized with a shiver she would never have let anyone see, _for good or ill._ With a whuff of air, she emerged on the practice grounds, where Renato was diving through the obstacle course, the floating automaton Gohdan slowly chasing him. One of the guardian's hands rushed at the lad as he rolled under a spinning spiked log, but Renato shifted at the last second and Gohdan had to pull back to avoid grabbing the log. A needle-blade struck the hand's target point, and it 'deactivated.' "Enough," Gohdan said, reactivating its hand and floating back. "We have been at this for some time, young Sheikah, and you have defeated me twice already."

"You know what they say about thrice and charms," Renato replied, bouncing to his feet and summoning the needle back to his hand.

Gohdan shook his head. "Easy for you to say, Renato. You have not yet seen two decades. I am seventeen centuries old, the Temple is damaged, and my mana flows thin easily."

"If that is your way of saying you are tired," Renato said with a tone that was somehow both friendly and ironic, "would it help me to point out that you are a construct of wizard-science, and have no muscles or lungs to tire?"

"I did say mana flows, youth." Gohdan floated closer to the ground. "Even the ancient masters had their limits, and away from the Temple, I do not have infinite reserves." The construct's eyes dimmed briefly. "Also, the curse the Hero broke affected me in some way as well. Mandrag has ever tested his prison."

Renato nodded, then bowed at the waist. "Please forgive my exuberance, guardian. May the gods watch over you."

"And you as well, young Sheikah," Gohdan replied, placing his hands together and tilting in mimicry of a bow. "Now attend your mother." Renato spun and stared, mouth hanging open, while Gohdan retreated.

"How..." Renato began, closed his mouth, started again, then gave up and bowed. "Mother."

Impa strode over to her son and gripped him in a fierce hug. "I have every other facet in my life to be formal about, my son," she whispered. Renato returned the embrace, just a touch of uncertainty hinted at by a tremble. "I mean for you to live well."

"Mother," he whispered back in embarrassment. Impa nearly laughed at that. _So...normal._

Worry surged back into her in a rush. Slowly, she extricated herself from him and gestured for him to follow. "Walk with me," she said, and strode through the field. Renato obeyed immediately. "It has occurred to me that you are...surprisingly well-adjusted. Miraculously so, in truth, considering what your 'childhood' must have like."

"My childhood?" Renato chuckled. "Mother, my childhood was spent in your dreams." Impa's eyes went wide. _Just when I thought the universe could not surprise me again..._ Her son shrugged. "I was just an object to them, an extracted soul to be used when the right moment came." Quickly, he grew serious again, frowning. "They knew what they would use me for the instant they learned of the Hero, thought they hid me from Ganondorf himself quite assiduously."

"So everything you are..." Impa began slowly.

"Is a combination of your motherhood and Link's memories," Renato replied, touching her shoulder with two fingers. Impa smiled in spite of herself; she'd dreamed of that touch, the 'child's kuji-in,' for so many years now. "That rather outweighed Kotake's last-minute brainwashing of 'Shadow Link,' I can assure you."

"Indeed." Impa nodded. Then her eyes slid over to him, head unmoving. "How much of that does Link know?"

Renato stumbled. "How...I did neglect to mention the memory part, yes," he coughed. "I certainly do not have them all, and they stop with his victory over Mandrag's curse, but in many ways we are like brothers." He held his arms up, looking at them oddly. "They used Sakon's life energy to grow a piece of Link into a full-grown...me. I think it was the Law of Sympathy that changed this body into something more like what I would have been, but even now I don't feel as...heavy, as I expected flesh to be, when I was no more than Shadow and Spirit."

"That is good, to be honest," Impa said with a nod. _Thank the gods. Which leaves but one complication to address._ She touched her fingers to his shoulder briefly, then folded her arms. Renato smiled at the touch, then looked at her curiously. "I do have one concern. What are your feelings towards Zelda?"

Renato blushed like the last rays of twilight and looked away. "What Shadow Link did to her was not me, that much I can swear from the depths of my soul."

"That was not my concern," Impa said dryly.

At that, Renato looked up sharply. "What...oh, you mean how Link feels about..." he smiled at that, very much the teenager being indulgently patient with a parent. "Mother, I do love Zelda. Like a sister. Shadow's desire for her was rather less pure than the Hero's, and even thinking of her in that manner..." He pressed his hand to his stomach and made a face. "Rest assured that I will not be pining for her in this incarnation, nor am I likely to for several more."

"Not quite the reaction I had hoped for, but acceptable," Impa sighed, draping an arm around his shoulders. "I take it you are coming with us?" That earned the High Sheikah an even sharper look, but Renato said nothing, merely nodding. "Very well. Then we must prepare." Impa withdrew her arm and glanced up. "Time runs short." _And while I will not try to keep you from battle, I will do everything in my power to see you survive it._

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Link approached the door to the observatory tower uncertainly. In all his years of friendship with Zelda, he'd only spoken to her father a few times. _Well, he is the king,_ the Hero thought reasonably. Even Zelda herself seemed a little distant from her father, a little in awe of him. _I know I didn't have one, but I always thought parents were supposed to be...close...to their children. Like Malon and her father, I guess._

The single knight standing there seemed tense, which did nothing to help Link's mood. One of the shortest he'd seen, the warrior looked like he was ready to explode, but in a quiet way. A sudden thought struck the Hero. "Zuko?" he called as he approached.

"Huh," the knight replied, taking off his helm. It was indeed Zelda's diminutive protector. "King sent for you, right?" Zuko nodded, clearly to himself rather than Link. He stepped aside and pointed upward. "He's waiting for you, no doubt."

"I'm surprised to see you here, Sir Zuko," Link said slowly, albeit more steadily, when he reached the door. "I would've thought you'd be locked to Zelda's side until...the end, one way or the other."

Zuko shook his head. "Me and Senza, we're a - we were a team," he replied, falling into a whisper. "I was offense, he was defense." He looked out one of the windows to the sky. "My family isn't exactly something I'm proud of. Senza's uncle, he sponsored me for the knighthood, let me make something out of myself. When he died, Senza was the only real family I had." He glanced down at his sword hilt. "I'm going with the king. To the pass."

"To die," Link gasped.

Zuko shrugged. "War's a funny thing, kid. Life, death, it's a toss of the dice for most of us. I'm just going to play longer odds than usual."

"What about Zelda?"

At that, the knight's eyes rolled, gaze landing on the Hero. His sardonic look spoke volumes, but he continued to talk all the same. "For the love of Nayru, she's got Impa _and_ the Hero of Time. Also, Ashei and Rusl are taking our place." He snorted. "Assuming Ashei doesn't stay up too late with her pretty-boy fiancé. Courtiers."

"That's not all I meant, you know," Link replied quietly. "She's been through a lot the last day, but losing Senza hurt her too."

"Yeah, I had a talk with her about that." Zuko looked Link over, eyes flickering up and down, then he nodded to himself again. _What in Nayru's name?_ "She felt guilty about, being happy with you, I guess. Don't worry, I told her that Senza would've wanted her to be happy."

"Thank you," Link replied sincerely. "There's a lot about all this I don't understand, but that part I could see, and...thank you." He opened the door, then paused and looked back at Zuko one last time. "Aren't you going to tell me to, I don't know, behave, or protect her or something?"

Zuko laughed. "Kid, Zelda doesn't want you to 'behave,' I don't tell fire to burn, and besides, you're about to talk to her _father."_ He pointed up again. "So long, Hero."

A strange mood hit Link suddenly. "See you around, Zuko." With that, he climbed the stairs.

In moments, he was at the tower's apex, the observatory's dome wide open to the sky. A great telescope peered into the heavens, but the king stood beside it, staring up in a different direction. Link walked quietly to His Majesty's side and got down on one knee, bowing.

With an impatient gesture, King Daphnes bid him to rise, and the Hero obeyed immediately. "You sent for me, Sire?" Link asked. Daphnes nodded, eyes still fixed on the stars. The Hero's gaze followed the king's to where Nayru's Heart shone brightly.

After several peaceful moments, the king nodded again, more to himself than anything else. "You have my blessing, son."

_Wow._ Link swallowed audibly. "Th-thank you, Sir."

Once more, they stared silently into the stars, sharing a feeling that needed no words. After a time, the king spoke again. "You will always be there for her," he said finally. It was not a question.

Link bowed again, in the formal manner of a knight to his lord. The Hero was surprised by his own audacity, and if the sudden glance he received was any indication, so was the king. "Always, Your Majesty."

The king nodded one last time, and for a moment, Link thought he saw the ghost of a smile flicker across the great leader's face. The king then gestured in dismissal, and Link withdrew. The last thing the Hero saw before turning was Daphnes' gaze returning to the stars, and Nayru's Heart.

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The sound of hoofbeats was almost deafening.

Zelda had seen many battles, most of them by the Hero's side, but this was something beyond her experience, even taking Vaati's invasion force into account. Hundreds of soldiers and sorcerers, including over a score of Hyrule's finest knights and some fifteen wizards, rode through the rough-hewn pass into Altea. The road itself was smooth, though not yet as wide as intended, but the stone around them was raw and still jagged in places.

Among this epic gathering of heroes and champions, the Sheikah flickered like the shadows they were. They were the only members of the force that rode no horses, instead flitting in and out of shadows and occasionally resting on the carts that carried the force's Beamos, ballistae and supplies.

Onox rode at the head of the force, his massively-armored figure on an even more massive destrier, the great horse's barding almost as impressive as the Lord General's panoply. With its burden lightened by wizardry, the huge war horse moved with a light ease that should have been impossible given Onox's titanic flail.

Three ranks behind sat the Hero, eyes flickering around them constantly even as he patted Epona. His legendary mare was almost supernaturally calm. _Well, I suppose that's to be expected, considering how she's seen more battle than any two knights combined,_ she thought, fondness and worry fighting for supremacy inside her.

Zelda herself had ridden to the back of the train, checking on the force and supplies. Now she was riding to the head again, back to the Hero. _What I don't get is why these people, all experienced combatants, seem to find me so...comforting._ She'd spoken as politely and encouragingly to her subjects as she'd been able, of course. _It felt so silly, but it really seemed to work._

#You really have no idea what sort of effect you have on people, do you?# Impa 'pathed, pride and love pulsing through their connection. #Every one of these warriors draws strength from your compassion, your determination, your wisdom. The Hero is merely the most dramatic example, child, hardly the only one.#

Zelda ducked her head to hide her embarrassed smile. #Impa!# Her Sheikah mentor just projected a smile in response. #I'm just doing my duty, truly.#

#Then perhaps it is how well you do your duty that moves others,# Impa replied. #Moved they are, however, and it will be a boon to us.# A wariness entered their connection suddenly. #We're approaching the peak. Stay sharp.# With that, Impa's mind was gone.

Zelda bit back an oath and spurred her white mare Picori forward, forcing a smile and a nod for the knot of knights that were staring at her. They blushed, even the woman, and bowed as much as a fully armored knight can from horseback. Quickly, she reached the Hero's side again. Ashei and Rusl moved in behind her with a shared irritable air. Link reached over and squeezed her hand, then leaned over, his lips almost at her ear. Her entire body tingled for a moment, a feeling that vanished when he spoke. "Your bodyguards gave me an earful about your order," he whispered.

_I will not tear his head off,_ Zelda thought firmly. It was a near thing all the same. "I could hardly raise morale with Ashei glaring at every man who looked at me and Rusl hovering over me like a mother cucco, now could I?" she whispered back almost hoarsely. "And for the love of Nayru, Link, will you please learn to 'path to me? Having your lips that close is...distracting. Very distracting." She pressed her hand to her belly, the fire smoldering there again. _Farore!_

Link immediately released her hand, pulling himself straight on Epona's saddle and turning his exquisite shade of red. He pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played idly, but Zelda caught him threading her Lullaby into one of his 'jam sessions.' _Termina must be a very strange place._ After a few moments, she felt his mind brushing against hers. #I'm sorry, Zel, I swear. I didn't mean to bother you.#

#Bother - Din, Nayru and Farore!# Zelda's knuckles hurt from the tightening of her grip on the reins. Link swallowed. #The only thing that bothers me, Hero of Time, is that I can't trip your legs out from under you right now!#

#Why would you trip me?# Link asked, the connection practically radiating innocent confusion. #You haven't done that since we were eleven.# Zelda could hear Navi's laugh from Link's mind.

Zelda's blush made Link look pale. #I'll explain later,# she 'pathed quietly. #Look, Impa said we need to keep our eyes open.#

Link nodded, with a single flicker of will becoming the greatest warrior in Hyrule once more. #The peak. Ganondorf will almost certainly attack us there. Even if he doesn't know we're coming, he must have an ambush set up there, waiting for a military force to come through.#

#What makes you say that?# Zelda asked. #It would take considerable effort to get his forces across the Altean border, and this is an unlikely way to launch a counterattack. Without the Gorons and Zoras and Marth's friendship, I wouldn't have even considered it.#

#Two reasons,# Link replied. #One, it's a bottleneck. If we were trying to move an entire army through here, it would be as effective as holding the pass out of the desert is for us. Two...it's what I would do,# he said, shame flickering through their connection, #if I were in Ganondorf's place. We wouldn't expect it for the exact reasons you outline, so it's something he should do given his virtually limitless resources.#

Zelda took his hand again and squeezed encouragingly, as he had for her. #You have nothing to be ashamed of,# she 'pathed firmly. #Your insight may save us all.#

#Wouldn't you be ashamed to think like Ganondorf so easily?# Link replied quietly. #I keep thinking about Dark Link. The Master Sword says I'm pure of heart, yet...most of the common folk, my folk, treat me like the son of Farore Herself, but almost everyone with some kind of money or title looks at me either like a stray dog about to soil the rug or a rabid wolf running loose in the halls. I try not to resent it, but I do.# He looked down at Epona's mane, stroking her neck. He summoned an apple to his hand and fed it to her, the mare taking it quickly and enthusiastically. #I can't say I've never thought about what it would be like, how easy it would be, if I just...didn't care. Like _him.#_

#You? Not care?# Zelda laughed at that. #You could more easily hold back the moon. In point of fact, you did.#

Link bit his lip. #I had a little help with that,# he 'pathed faintly.

The Sage of Time couldn't help it. She laughed again. #Link, my heart, you conquered me without even trying, but I think you would eat your own sword before you would willingly cut an innocent with it. You are _good,_ love. Just because you occasionally have thoughts that are not perfectly pure doesn't make you any less good.# Realization hit her. #For that matter, I would say it makes you better. What is a choice without temptation? How can you sacrifice without giving something? It isn't what you feel that makes you pure, but what you _do._ Can you think of one time in your life when you've been faced with a choice of any real importance, and made the wrong one? Not a mistake or a prank, but a real choice.#

The Hero opened his mouth, held up one hand, gestured vaguely, then with a stunned air, closed his mouth again and took the reins. #Mm-hmm. That's your purity of heart, my Hero. You always count the cost to others and never to yourself.# She snorted at that. #To a fault.#

#I...# Zelda could feel how completely she'd caught him off guard. _Now that is satisfaction,_ she thought joyfully. "DOWN!" he shouted suddenly, and Zelda's hands came up, mind over matter shielding her. Arrows rained down on them, falling everywhere, but both Link's shield and her own power had come up with more than enough time. Between her psychic ability and two other wizards', they managed to prevent anything more than a few arm wounds.

"We're under attack!" Onox roared. "Knights, shields up and form ranks! Protect the reagents! Archers, wizards, FIRE AT WILL!"

Zelda grimaced and cast balls of Din's Fire over the cliffs onto their foes. They weren't terribly far up, but it gave their attackers the high ground and more cover than she liked. Even as she returned fire, a flicker of clairvoyance allowed her to examine their foes. _What in Farore's name?_ They were strange green-skinned humanoids, bald and pug-nosed, like someone had shrunk Moblins and given them horns. A few explosions later proved them far less resilient than the infamous giants who served Ganondorf, but there were far more of the beasts in this one battle than all the Moblins ever seen combined.

With a gasp, she realized that Link was already gone, having reached a pack of their assailants with his Hookshot. The Hero tore through the new creatures with ease, leaving Dark Fire dissipating in his wake. On the other side of the pass, Sheikah struck and vanished with the swift suddenness of lightning, proving every bit as deadly in the process. A few quickly joined Link, and the battle looked to end before long.

Then five warriors entirely encased in black armor appeared from the remnants of Dark Fire and charged in. "Darknuts!" Link shouted above the din. "Aim for their helmets, hit them from behind! Watch out when their armor falls, they must be beaten twice, and they're much faster without their plate! SEI-YAH!" With that battle cry, he heeded his own words, crashing into both black knights near him, saving two Sheikahs' lives in the process, and began his duel.

Meanwhile, two of the Darknuts had landed in the pass. One was facing the Lord General, who was laughing darkly with the joy of battle. The other landed near Zelda, and her knights immediately stepped between the princess and her hunter. _I don't think so._ She conjured her Light Bow and opened fire immediately, arrow after arrow crashing into the fiend. To her astonished horror, it parried most of the attacks, but that made it difficult for the creature to defend itself from Ashei and Rusl. Most importantly, it wasn't attacking them, clearly considering her Light Arrows the greater threat. On the other hand, it was still advancing slowly. _Well, this is a delightful little dilemma. How do I..._ Zelda flashed a predatory smile at the Darknut. "Farore's Wind!" she yelled, leaping from Picori. The Darknut tried to force itself past Ashei and Rusl, taking several sword blows in the process, when it saw Zelda fly towards it. It stopped cold when she vanished in a flash of green light.

She reappeared behind the evil creature and struck it with a field of force and electricity from her palm, which shattered its armor. It tried to leap away, but Ashei and Rusl didn't waste any time taking advantage of its less protected state. The Darknut was much faster, however, just as Link had warned, and managed to retreat. It leaned back to throw its massive blade at Ashei, but Impa took that moment to appear behind it. Her Sheikah blade flashed like lightning, tearing into the dark construct's back. Zelda re-formed her Light Bow and pierced the thing's helm, and it vanished with a screaming burst of Dark Fire.

Link leaped down then, body a mass of slash marks and bruises, eyes flashing through the ranks to lock on to Zelda. He slumped in relief when he saw her. They both turned to look at Onox then, who was pulling bits of black metal off the spikes of his flail. The general's armor was badly dented and torn, but there was no sign of blood on him, a blessing the Hero didn't share. Zelda hurried to Link's side and clucked in annoyance at his wounds. "Tell me you didn't get these rushing on my account." She placed her hands on him. "Nayru's Heart." The rents in his garb and wounds alike vanished.

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled in embarrassment. "Guilty."

Zelda punched him in the shoulder, which, after all but ignoring several ugly gashes, the Hero rubbed with almost a pout. "Love of Nayru, even discounting Ashei, Rusl _and_ Impa, I can take care of myself."

"So you weren't still maintaining your force shield over the soldiers to protect them from arrows?" Link replied simply. Zelda glanced away, lips tightening. "Yeah. Zel, I'd bet on you against a Darknut any day - if you have the space to move. If one of those things got its hands on you, though..." He trembled slightly. "I wasn't going to let a few scratches make me risk that."

"Scratches." Zelda folded her arms and glared. Link nodded sheepishly.

Navi appeared from his hat. "Actually, for Link, those practically were scratches."

"Thanks, Navi," Link replied gratefully.

Zelda threw up her hands. "You're impossible!" She went to mount Picori, rubbing the horse's neck and side to calm her down, and Link was there to offer her a hand. "Hmph." The princess glanced away for a second. _Oh, Din sear it._ She turned back to the Hero, grabbed him by the shoulders, and kissed him soundly. Zelda ignored the coughs and obvious glancing away of most of those present, though she couldn't help a blush when she noticed Impa watching her as if judging a duel. After a very pleasant eternity that was far too short, she let him go. Link staggered, eyes a bit unfocused, while Zelda casually brushed herself off and re-mounted Picori, pointedly without help. She glanced down; Link was still recovering. Zelda spurred her mare to Onox, deeply gratified by the results.

The princess sobered quickly when she looked around. No one nearby was seriously hurt, but there were a few arrow wounds being dealt with and a couple of dented helms shifting themselves back into place. "Lord General," she called, "casualties?"

"Not one fatality or serious injury, thank the gods," he replied curtly, and Zelda's stomach slew its butterflies. "However, we've been forced to use up more mana and potions than I would have liked, and we'll be delayed further by slight damage to the carts. It unquestionably could have been worse, but this is still an inconvenience we can ill afford."

Zelda nodded. "Agreed. However, we knew that this strategy was fraught with risk. We must simply heal the wounded and repair the damage as best we can and press on." She glanced down from the great peak to the rolling fields and mighty fortifications of Altea. _The entire country still looks like an armed encampment,_ she thought sadly. "What do you believe are the chances Ganondorf knows we're here, my lord?"

"You would know that better than I, princess," Onox said, crushing one last piece of metal in his hand, "but I would say they are fair. While our forces slew every last one of those foul beasts, it seems almost certain that the Gerudo King will know that his trap was sprung. We can only hope that our scrying defenses will prevent him from learning our force's true strength."

Zelda nodded. "Thank you, Lord General." She turned Picori and headed back, noting with more shyness than she'd expected that Link was still a bit wobbly on Epona. _Focus. Duty. Our real strength is hidden in the division of our forces. Gods, please let Ganondorf not see our unity._ She nodded to the Hero as she passed, Link nodding back with an endearingly daffy grin. Navi giggled.

Impa jogged over to her side. Zelda dismounted, leading Picori slowly given the train's near standstill. "That was an impressive performance," Impa began, and Zelda dimpled, "but you started off too aggressively."

"I did?" Zelda asked, blinking. _I thought I was a bit too defensive against that Darknut at the start._

"Yes," Impa said with a solemn nod. "You should brush your lips against his first, _then_ move in for the kill." Zelda's eyes went wide. "He won't be as stunned initially, true, but as you can see, he's nearly recovered." The Sheikah gestured at Link, who was glancing down the slope warily, a bit of a shudder still visibly running up and down his spine. "Clearly, we do not want the Hero distracted overlong under the circumstances. In the future, however, if you want him mesmerized by the memory of you for hours-"

"Can we discuss this later?" Zelda asked very quietly. Ashei chuckled all the same, and Rusl hid his reaction behind a polite turn of his hand. Impa simply nodded, but the Sage of Time could feel her _sensei's_ humor radiating from her. _You certainly don't hear about this sort of thing in the fairy tales!_

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"Hold the line! HOLD THE LINE!" Daphnes bellowed. Three knights joined the king by the rear stone barricade on the Hyrule side of the Zora River, watching their brethren on the far end of the bridge closely.

Hylian arrows filled the air, blotting out the afternoon sun, as hundreds of Lizalfos scrambled over the shadowy remains of an equal number of their dying kin. Nearly mindless, the creatures surged forward, heedless of how many were brought down each second. In spite of the rain of arrows, several of them reached the bottleneck of the bridge through sheer force of numbers, and knights had to rotate through every few minutes to keep from being overwhelmed by the constant pounding. Three knights made a broken-field run to the forward barricade.

Sorcerers provided what aid they could, but when it came to personal combat, the sword still ruled the day. _Strange that I find comfort in that,_ Daphnes thought, the impersonal observer he'd been trained to foster as a monarch analyzing the notion. _Gods grant that we can never deal death wholesale by magic, never meeting our foes on the field, seeing their eyes, knowing the price._ He grimaced as another dozen or so monsters exploded in Dark Fire before the heroic soldiers' defense. _Then again, what else would we call the invasion of these mindless, sorcery-born monstrosities? Ganondorf does not sully his hands, while we pay in sweat and blood._ The king snarled and unleashed another Fire Arrow, slaying a Dinolfos that was approaching the bridge. "Wizard shield UP! Force them back! Knights, rank change!" Daphnes stood, lowering his bow. His hand dropped to his sword hilt.

Lenzo put a hand on the king's shoulder. Daphnes gritted his teeth and fired another arrow. "You know you mustn't, Your Majesty," the master enchanter whispered. He held out his hand and a shaft of pure Light shot from it, disintegrating over a dozen Lizalfos.

"I am aware of that, Lenzo," Daphnes grunted, "but it doesn't make this any easier." He leaned forward, peering into the teeming, writhing ranks of their foes. "Are they...slowing?" He held out his hand, and the wizard handed the king a pair of wide spectacles. Donning them, Daphnes could instantly see to the horizon with perfect clarity - and he hardly needed such distance here. "They are. I imagine it takes some time for these beasts to receive and comprehend orders..."

"Then we've won for now?" Lenzo asked dubiously. The Hylians gave a ragged cheer as the Lizalfos retreat became more obvious. The three replacement knights lined up at the end of the bridge, three more setting up a few feet behind them as those they were relieving stumbled away, spent. Lenzo gestured, and two of his colleagues concentrated. Shimmering fields of force appeared around the bridge, no match for real sorcery but more than enough to deflect mundane arrows.

Daphnes watched carefully. "No. They're removing their wounded...ugh, _destroying_ their wounded. Clearing the field." He slowly removed the glasses and handed them back to Lenzo.

"For what?" Lenzo asked, conjuring spheres of Light in each hand.

Pointing into the distance, Daphnes outlined a violet mass with a gesture. "Them."

An ululating cry moved towards them, swords clanging and feet stamping. In a jagged, seemingly chaotic mass, over a hundred veiled, purple-clad figures appeared across the river. Lenzo gasped. "I didn't think there were so many Gerudo warriors left in the world, even counting ours!"

"Nabooru's," Daphnes corrected absently. "The Lizalfos were merely to wear us down. Now, it begins in earnest." He stood. "Defenders of Hyrule! The Gerudo warriors believe we are weak! They call us grass-eaters, milksops, _cowards!_ Today, they face us at last! What shall we greet them with?"

"STEEL!" his people roared back, the din swallowing the Gerudo clamor. The Gerudos stopped their clashing and stomping and watched for a few moments, then let out another ululating cry and clanged their scimitars together.

Lenzo conjured a sphere of Din's Fire into his hands, the Light swirling into it. "What are they doing?" he asked warily.

"I believe they're applauding," Daphnes replied, chuckling wryly. They stopped, and immediately he turned serious. "BRACE!" he roared. Archers nocked their arrows on both sides, and the king's heart sank at the sight of so many arrowheads glittering and wafting with frost on the other side of the river.

A Gerudo in purple rode up, crimson hair flowing like a banner behind her. She held up a scimitar, and everything went silent. Then, with a savage gesture, she slashed it down to point at the knights holding the bridge. "ATTACK!"

They did.

Arrows blackened the sky and psychic powers flared. Gerudo warriors charged at the knights on the bridge, moving with blinding speed, but the skill of Hyrule's champions and the enchanted armor that blunted the lighter cuts countered the assault. One Gerudo attempted to vault over the three knights at the front, but one of the warriors behind them impaled her on a lance and the woman fell into the river. _First blood,_ Daphnes thought grimly. Ice Arrows wore away at the psychic force protecting the knights. _First blood, but not the last, Din burn Ganondorf._

It didn't take long for Daphnes to realize that something was protecting the Gerudo side from arrows as well. _Even Gerudo agility can't dodge mass fire, and they don't carry shields._ He forced rusty sorcerous vision to obey his will, and saw shimmering auras around a handful of Gerudos in white. #Lenzo,# he 'pathed, tapping his companion on the shoulder and pointing out the sorceresses in question. Lenzo nodded, and the king felt the great wizard's psychic power reach out to his apprentices.

Meanwhile, the knights on the bridge were slowly being forced back. _We're not fighting Lizalfos any more,_ Daphnes thought darkly. "FALL BACK! Abandon the bridge!" The knights retreated reluctantly, slaying a pair of overeager Gerudos as they gave ground. A furious Gerudo, screaming like a ReDead, crashed past the defenses of one knight and slew him with a quick, savage lunge, driving scimitars between armor plates. A short knight ran to take the dead man's place even as the Gerudo cast her victim into the river with a heaving twist of her arms. #Ready,# the king 'pathed, distantly recognizing the diminutive hero as Sir Zuko, his beloved Zelda's childhood protector. Lenzo nodded, face tight with sorrow and concentration.

With a coordination perfected by telepathic unity, the wizards and psychics grabbed the knights with their minds just before they reached the near end of the bridge and lifted them. At the same time, a sorcerer released tiny 'knots' of Din's Fire, igniting nine short fuses beneath the bridge. The knights flew back an instant before the bridge exploded and cast over a dozen limp Gerudos into the river.

The Gerudo general howled in fury, then gestured with her other scimitar. Her remaining warriors crouched, and curved stones grew from the ground, granting them cover. Daphnes bared his teeth when he realized they were _all_ readying bows. It worried him more, however, when they didn't fire. "What are you waiting for, Gerudo?" he asked, eyes narrowing at the general.

His answer came in the form of a tall Gerudo sorceress bearing two wands. One burned with a crimson eternal flame, and the other glittered blue and silver-white, wafting with frost. She wore two tall hats, from which sprung plumes more like the wands' energies than hair. "Is that...Kotake?" Daphnes asked.

Lenzo shook his head, gathering vast energies around him. "Twinrova," he hissed.

"Twin - that's impossible! Koume's dead!" Daphnes blurted.

"Indeed she is," Twinrova replied, voice easily echoing across the gap even though she wasn't shouting. "Kotake's sister sacrificed her life that the great Ganon might be reborn." Daphnes glared at the witch. _Ganon? What in Farore's name?_ She hovered carelessly over the empty space where the bridge had been. "Yet her sorcery and her elemental affinity were not necessary to the sacrifice, so in one last act of defiance against the gods, she granted them to Kotake." Twinrova smiled, cold and calculating. "You cannot hope to equal my power. The accursed Hero is absent, and you can be certain that great Ganondorf is ready for him. Yield, and you will live as the slaves of the Gerudo, but you will live."

"Lenzo," Daphnes growled.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Send our reply."

Lenzo almost smiled at that. He formed a sphere of Light in his hands, then fired it at Twinrova. She grunted and slid back in the air. The Hylians cheered, then unleashed a hail of arrows to rival the attacks that devastated the Lizalfos army.

When they could see their target again, however, Twinrova only looked annoyed. Her wand of flame had flared to brighter fury, and the scepter of ice seemed to devour heat and life around it. "So. You are the great Lenzo." Twinrova smiled again, a scimitar's edge to her curving lips. "I felt that."

It seemed to take no time at all. Before Daphnes could react, the terrible sorceress was upon them, casting fire and ice to either side of her. Lenzo himself, however, she struck with a burst of Shadow from her eyes. Daphnes' friend blocked with a round shield of Light, but he grunted and slid back on their platform. _She's ignoring me!_ Daphnes realized furiously. "Ignore this!" the king snarled, filling his sword with mana and leaping, spinning out a slash that left a long, thin cut on her side.

"Wh - ARR!" Twinrova howled, flying back and out of his range. "And here I thought you were a toothless old lion," she rumbled, eyeing him as if to weigh his import. Nodding to herself, she flew at them again, this time straight at the king. Daphnes held up his shield, and again Twinrova was thwarted, but she was behind him before he could counterattack. The world went blue and cold, everything slowing around him. He tried to turn and slash, but his arms were so heavy. Daphnes just wanted to sleep, rest at long last...

_...Luda..._

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The Hero looked into the sky, the grass feeling cool and soothing against his back. Stars were just appearing while the last vestige of twilight's radiance was melting away. Hands folded behind his head, Link could almost have been back at the castle. A part of him felt ten again, Zelda by his side. It was, however, a small part.

Link was the only one in the group who didn't need sleep, a blessing of the Triforce, so the rest of the company was making camp for the night. Zelda was indeed nearby, occasionally giving him an encouraging glance, but was otherwise busy healing others and planning the camp's defense with Onox. #Navi, am I right not to trust him?# the Hero asked.

#Are you kidding? You did notice how much Gorgon looked like him, right?# Navi retorted.

Link snorted. #Yeah, almost like someone had, I dunno, brought his Shadow to life and turned it against everything he holds dear.# Navi landed on his forehead with a sullen thud. #I keep thinking, it's gotta be because he doesn't like me. Onox has protected Hyrule since before I was born. It's just...I've got a bad feeling about him.#

#Yeah, well, I trust your feeling more than I do your over-thinking,# Navi replied, sitting cross-legged at his hairline.

"Over-thinking? Me?" Link laughed gently at that, careful not to jostle his companion. "Haven't you heard? I'm not much of a thinker."

Navi laughed back at that. #Sure, that's why you're the one who always beats whatever madness Ganondorf's summoned into the temples.#

#Hey, I wasn't saying I buy into it,# Link 'pathed quickly. #I'm no Zelda, but I've faced enough of those twisted mazes I think I can have a little faith in my ability to think.# He started to raise an eyebrow, then forced his face to go still when Navi shifted to keep her balance. #Which means that maybe I have a point.#

#Yeah, you're finally confident enough in your abilities to believe yourself when you don't trust yourself,# Navi replied dryly. #Exactly what part of that makes sense?#

Link gave up and laughed outright, sending the tiny fairy spiraling back into the air. #All right, all right!# He sobered quickly, glancing at Onox. The general was giving orders to a pair of sorcerers. #It's not like I can make myself trust him completely. I just don't want to undermine his authority without a better reason than my instincts.# He turned his head when he realized Zelda was approaching, the lanky Sir Niko following her. "Zelda? Where are Ashei and Rusl?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I sent them to protect the psychics raising the earthworks." She gestured at the knight beside her. "They insisted I at least keep one knight with me. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if they know which of us is the royalty here."

"And what are you doing lying on the ground, _Hero?"_ Niko said caustically, folding his arms and glaring. He missed Zelda's furious look. _Probably for the best,_ Link decided.

"I'm going to be up all night," he replied, "so I'm resting while I check for intruders."

Niko unfolded his arms and looked at the Hero with curiosity. "You're psychic?"

"Not yet," Link explained, grinning sheepishly, "in spite of Zelda's best efforts. It's just a Sheikah trick. I can feel the vibrations in the ground. If anyone less light-footed than a single Sheikah heads for us, I'll pick it up."

"There's over a hundred people walking around the camp!" Niko blurted.

The Hero blinked at the knight. "So?"

Niko opened his mouth, closed it, then turned and walked several paces away, stopping a moderately discreet distance from the pair. Zelda snorted in a very unladylike manner. "One of Onox's. Actually, one of Veran's would be more accurate - Onox doesn't care much about politics."

"So he doesn't like me," Link replied with a shrug. "I'm used to it. As long as he protects you and does his job, I'm not going to complain."

Zelda shook her head and sat down beside the Hero. "How do you do it?" she asked, voice soft and sad. At Link's questioning gaze, she continued. "Their dislike, their distrust. After all you've done for them. Everything you've been through, and so many of them still treat you like...like..."

"An orphan who isn't even a proper citizen of Hyrule?" Link pointed out gently. "An outsider? A meddler?"

"Meddler!" Zelda clenched her fists, then turned to glare at Onox. "They're just upset that you've done what no one else could!"

"Hey, even you don't like that sometimes," Link quipped with a grin.

Zelda looked down suddenly, hands fluttering without purpose. "That's different," she whispered.

"Whoa, hey, I know that," the Hero said quickly, sitting up and pressing his hand against the ground opposite Zelda to maintain his vibration sense. "Look, Zel, most of the people I know, they treat me like...I don't know, it's kind of embarrassing. I have to sneak rupees into the cash jars to pay for stuff. Kids say they want to be me when they grow up." Link knew he was blushing by then, but Zelda was perking up, so he continued. "I mean, it's almost like the way they look at you sometimes." He chuckled. "It gets a little scary every once in a while." He shrugged. "So a bunch of gentry and nobility don't like me. Most of them don't let it get in the way of doing what has to be done, so why let it bother me?"

Zelda threw her arms around him. "I love you," she said simply. Link's blush spread across his face. After a moment, a grin did the same across Zelda's. "Funny this should come up now. We just had this conversation, remember?" Link's blush deepened as the Princess of Destiny echoed his own words in his mind. #'...almost everyone with some kind of money or title looks at me either like a stray dog about to soil the rug or a rabid wolf running loose in the halls. I try not to resent it, but I do.'# Zelda stroked his cheek with the tips of her fingers. "Yeah, you must resent it a lot, only letting it get to you when someone twists the knife hard enough for you to notice."

_Farore._ Link rubbed his forehead. Navi laughed uproariously in his mind. "Zel, Triforce or no Triforce, even I get tired after a while."

"Of course," Zelda agreed innocently. "Everyone gets tired sometimes. If you carry the world long enough, I imagine your shoulders ache something awful - but aching shoulders don't keep you from being pure of heart." Link's ears drooped, the Hero feeling thoroughly trounced. Navi and Zelda radiated enough satisfaction to warm even the cold desert winds.

The princess stiffened suddenly, then leaped to her feet, seeming as if she were about to walk out on her own, desert and monsters be hanged. "Zel?" Link rose beside her and followed her gaze. The princess was looking towards the border and Ganondorf's lands. "What's wrong?"

She licked her lips and focused, staring intently into the distance. "For just a second, I thought I felt..." Zelda shook her head and closed her eyes. "No. It's nothing. I'm just worried."

Link nodded and sat again, pressing his hand against the ground. He yanked it back as if burned. _Farore! I just stood for a second!_ "Forces coming from the southwest!" he shouted, Zelda jumping in place next to him, startled. "Archers and mages up! Knights ready!" Several Sheikah echoed his cry moments later. Summoning his Fairy Bow, he ran for the makeshift fortifications, Zelda literally flying beside him. "Zel, you think he found us?"

"No," the Sage replied carefully, "but there's only one way to find out." Link nodded and nocked an arrow just before reaching the low earthen wall, firing into a Lizalfos. The group was relatively small, for which the Hero thanked Farore fervently. _Maybe it was just luck,_ he thought, doubting the notion even as it occurred to him. _Well, like Zelda said, we'll find out soon enough. At least things seem to be going our way otherwise._

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Ganondorf exhaled in annoyance, the cool twilight air allowing the ever-shifting sands to flow more sedately. _When a cat brings you a mouse, it thinks it's being clever,_ he reminded himself. Kotake leaned smugly on Daphnes' bound and gagged form, Hyrule's king unwillingly on his knees but otherwise upright. "The king," he said flatly. Kotake nodded.

Aveil, his top general, looked on disgustedly. "He was fighting," she explained, her tone nearly identical to his. "Even as she bespelled him, the Hylian continued to slash so long as his body obeyed him."

The Gerudo King snorted at that, not unlike a Bullbo preparing to charge. "Fighting perhaps, but he _is_ Hylian. I think you credit him overmuch, Aveil."

Much to Ganondorf's annoyance, Aveil bowed fully, going to her knees and prostrating herself before him. "As you say, Your Majesty."

_You only do that when you disagree with me,_ he thought, infuriated, _because you're too loyal to contradict me publicly._ He strode over to his counterpart with long, easy strides, staring down at the captive. Daphnes glared back defiantly. He wasn't even hiding fear - there was none to hide. _And she's right, sear her._ Pushing Kotake's arm off Daphnes' shoulder and ignoring the sullen stare he got in response, he pulled the Hylian to his feet and ripped off the gag. "Have you anything to say for yourself, windbag?" Ganondorf grunted. Behind him, Aveil stood. He didn't have to look with eyes to see her satisfied smile.

"You have some nerve, sending your witch and your general to fight for you, then calling me names," Daphnes shot back, glowering and baring his teeth at Ganondorf. Several of Ganondorf's warriors gasped, and a handful half-drew their swords.

Ganondorf looked at his rival in amazement, then laughed. "By the gods, you're right!" he said almost cheerfully. He spun Daphnes around as if he were a scarecrow and slashed apart the ropes with a single stroke of his curve-headed sword. The large Hylian turned and looked at Ganondorf in surprise, rubbing his wrists. Kotake looked murderous, but Ganondorf continued to ignore her. "Clearly, this defiance means you're willing to fight to the death. Someone give this bag a sword, that I might let the wind out of him!" He leaned down to gaze into the king's eyes and flashed his most predatory grin. "Unless, of course, I was mistaken?"

"I'll have my sword now," Daphnes said quietly, holding out his hand. Ganondorf's smile vanished. _Great Din. He means it._ Nodding, he walked back five paces and waited.

No one moved. "King Nohansen," Ganondorf rumbled, "is waiting for his sword."

"I disposed of it," Kotake said quickly, folding her arms. "I dropped it into Death Mountain on my way here."

_That - that - I do not believe that woman!_ Ganondorf reached her in two paces, towering over the sorceress, eyes almost literally aflame. "Interesting," he said, beginning softly, "seeing as Death Mountain is on the OTHER SIDE OF HYRULE!" Kotake leaned back from his wrath, but otherwise held her ground. "Where is that sword? WHERE!"

"Gone," she replied tonelessly. He grabbed Kotake by the throat, fingers aching to snap her neck or choke the life from her, but something in him wouldn't permit it. _Din-seared conditioning,_ he thought furiously, releasing the witch's neck. "He can use a scimitar, if you are so determined to do this."

"One day, you scheming ice mage, you will push me too far," he rumbled, "and even your vaunted mind magic will not save you." He strode to Aveil. "Somewhere in our stores, we must have blades and shields captured from Hyrule. See that Nohansen is properly armed." He turned and smiled humorlessly at Daphnes. "And bring me the Sages' Sword."

Daphnes' eyes went wide at last, his resolve shaken. "What - how? The Arbiter-"

Ganondorf snapped his fingers, and from the nearby encampment two warriors pulled the Arbiter from a small, squat building. His face was still shrouded by the hood of his cloak, but otherwise, the manacles on his wrists marked the strange figure a captive. "This fool thought to contain my power. Once my shard of the Triforce was within me again, I easily overwhelmed your so-called 'Arbiter.'" He leaned towards the Hylian, smile broadening. _"I_ command Time now, not your precious Hero or daughter-Sage."

Sand shifted beneath Nohansen's feet for a moment. Then the rival king looked up again, confidence returning. "Yet the Hero was able to thwart your every offensive almost single-handedly. It seems that you're not all-powerful yet, oh King of Evil."

"Evil. Hah!" Ganondorf folded his hands behind him and looked into the distance. As if on cue, a wolf howled. "What you call evil is merely how you describe what the wolf does to a sheep. What you mean for a curse, I take as title with pride!" The Gerudo raised his fists to the heavens and howled in reply to the wolf. "Ganondorf, Great King of Evil!" He laughed, savage joy rushing through him. His people responded with an ululating cry of triumph.

One of the Whites ran to Daphnes and perfunctorily handed him a sword and shield. The Hylian took a few experimental swings with the blade, then hefted the shield carefully, and finally nodded. "This will do."

"Your Majesty, the Hylian is properly armed," Aveil said quietly. "You needn't use the Sages' Sword."

"He has been denied his weapon of choice," Ganondorf replied casually, another White approaching with the sheathed blade of solid energy. "I'll not have it said that I had an unfair advantage." He chuckled and pulled the radiant sword from its scabbard, leaving the worshipful White staring in awe. "Assuming one does not count being utterly superior in skill as unfair." He held out the blade, turning and weighing it in his hand. Light as the air, the weapon had no true heft, but its edge was sharper than any steel could hold.

"Let me fight him," Aveil said with a suddenness that caught Ganondorf flat-footed. It was a feeling he was unaccustomed to, particularly when someone other than the Hero did it to him. The king looked down at his general - even for a Gerudo, she was tall, but did not match Ganondorf's towering height. "Please, my liege."

"Pah. I want his blood, and he wants satisfaction." He gestured in dismissal and marched across the sand to the waiting Hylian.

"You granted me a boon," Aveil said suddenly. Ganondorf stopped. _Din, Nayru and Farore,_ he thought furiously. "Last year, when I blunted the Altean counteroffensive without losing a single Gerudo."

"And you chose to wait to claim it, yes, I remember," the monarch growled. He glared at Daphnes. "Is this...acceptable to you?"

King Nohansen glanced from Ganondorf to Aveil, looked at the general for a minute, then finally nodded. Ganondorf growled wordlessly, shoved the Sages' Sword back into its sheath, and stomped over to Kotake. "If you had anything to do with this..."

"Not me this time," Kotake cackled back, rubbing her hands together and watching Aveil draw her scimitars. "This should be fun."

Clenching his fists again, he watched Aveil stalk towards the king, stopping five paces away from him. Daphnes readied his sword and shield and nodded. Ganondorf's general became a violet blur, nearly ending the fight before it began, but Daphnes brought up his sword and shield just in time. It was clear from the beginning, however, how the duel would end. Daphnes managed a shallow cut on Aveil's arm in the same time she left three gashes along his torso, a span of less than ten seconds. Ganondorf allowed himself to relax. Daphnes' shield slumped down, and Aveil dove in for the kill.

The last moment was a blur. Ganondorf couldn't imagine where the bloated old man had found the energy, but he brought the shield up to block her right arm, and as her leftmost sword thrust into his chest, he stabbed her left thigh, driving his blade through it to the hilt. That part actually hadn't looked difficult, as he'd simply let himself fall as his life blood pumped away.

Aveil saluted him as she hobbled back, fighting off the wince of pain. Daphnes chuckled, fell over, exhaled, and stared into the night sky. _Of course he's smiling,_ Ganondorf snarled mentally, stride eating the distance between him and his general in scant seconds. "Healer! Now!" He scooped up Aveil in his arms with the ease of hefting a child. "What was that?"

"My apologies, Great King," Aveil sighed, holding herself as still as she could manage. Behind him, Kotake cackled. "I never imagined he would give his life to deal me so minor a blow."

"Minor. We most likely fight our final battle tomorrow. You won't be able to dismount. I hardly count that as minor. You will stay off that leg." Ganondorf strode towards the healers' tent - he'd only spared the magical energy to raise a single building, and that had been reserved for holding the thrice-accursed Arbiter - and roundly cursed himself as well. _You knew he was planning something like this,_ he accused himself bitterly, _but never imagined he had such resolve._

He placed the general carefully on the healers' cot. _Could I have underestimated Zelda as well?_ The surviving king watched as one healer grasped the sword hilt and the other placed her hands on the leg. Aveil hissed when the sword left her body, but otherwise acquitted herself honorably while the second healer sealed the wound with mana. _No. Impossible. She may have traveled with the Hero in this time stream, but she ever hides behind his might. Hiding behind a man's tunic,_ he thought contemptuously. _Disgraceful._

He dismissed Zelda then, concentrating on his general, and the Hero. _That kid. Him and his accursed Blade. He's going to be a problem._ Opening his palm, Ganondorf summoned Dark Fire into his hand and stared into it. _Without Aveil on the front lines, I'll have to divide my concentration against him. Perhaps I should..._ Almost instantly, he could hear Mandrag urging him to infuse Aveil with the power of the Evil Realm.

That settled the matter. _No. Not her. Unacceptable._ The king strode out of the tent then, his eyes flickering to Kotake. Mandrag had already been forgotten. _Kotake will have her 'revenge' after all, it seems. I would not wish that even on Zelda, but I have little choice. The Hero must not be allowed to focus while I am distracted._ With that, a smile formed. The Gerudo guards near him edged away. "Prepare the king's body for transport. We return him to the Hylians at first light." The guards nodded and motioned to Whites to carry out his orders. _Yes. That should distract that milksop of a princess nicely._ He felt like laughing again, but Aveil's condition sobered him.

_No matter. I'll take it out on the Hero and his Sage come the morrow. And then..._ Ganondorf looked into the sky, held up his hand, and made a fist. The Triforce of Power glowed on the back of his hand. _All shall be mine. I will fulfill my destiny at last!_

His concern for Aveil couldn't hold back the feeling of triumph any longer. He laughed, the desert wolves howling in response. _MINE!_


	18. Part 2, Ch 6: Bolero of Blades

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Six: Bolero of Blades**

The Zora River, broad yet shallow, flowed behind the force now. Rolling hills were giving way to a field, and the desert was coming into view at last. A distant glittering gold, the late dawn light illuminating it with stark beauty, told the princess they would most likely see battle before the day was out. _And it will end at last, one way or the other,_ Zelda thought, torn between hope and fear.

Link, as always, was with the vanguard, eyes sharpened by years of battle and training probing ahead. She tried not to think of the losses of the night before when she saw him. They had lost only a handful, but every one of them was a hero of Hyrule, and burying the dead had sobered them all.

"Gerudos!" A scout called. "Gerudo on the horizon! From behind!"

_Farore! _The force took cover, making it as necessary, and braced themselves. _If we have to fight off Gerudos coming through the hills, this is going to get unspeakably ugly,_ Zelda thought with concern. _Oh gods - how did they get past Marth and Darunia?_ Archers prepared a deadly volley, and enough mana swirled around the force to shatter the hills they now faced.

A single Gerudo on a horse rode out, the Spirit Medallion's mark flying on her banner. She wore pink, and only one Gerudo Zelda knew wore pink. "I surrender," Nabooru drawled.

"Farore's Wind!" Zelda shouted, appearing all but on top of Nabooru. She levitated next to the Spirit Sage and hugged her fiercely, while her warriors, all on foot, trickled from the hills to join the Hylian force. "How in Nayru's name?"

Nabooru laughed. "So there we are, holed up in the Spirit Temple, and I'm going mad with worry. How are you people going to manage without me?" She held up a pretty pink Ocarina. "I've heard the Prelude of Light enough times that I know it by heart now, and two dozen Gerudo warriors move a lot faster than five hundred Hylians carrying supplies, even if I am the only one mounted." Nabooru made a face at that.

"Two dozen?" Zelda asked, chuckling at her fellow Sage's expression.

"It took a few trips," Nabooru said with a pirate's grin. "So, are we welcome?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow even as Link loped over to them. "You _are_ joking," the princess drawled. Nabooru laughed again and leaped down, hugging Zelda back.

"Nabooru?" Link asked, smiling and incredulous. "How...?" To him, she merely held up the Fairy Ocarina, and the Hero laughed as well. "Saria. Gods bless her."

"So. What's the plan?" Nabooru asked. Zelda sobered quickly, though Link was still beaming, greeting his Gerudo friends.

Gesturing vaguely around them, the Sage of Time gazed into Nabooru's eyes meaningfully. "Surprise," she said softly.

Nabooru nodded. "Ahhh. I thought I sensed spirits alien to this land. A brilliant plan, I think. With luck, the one thing even Ganondorf will not suspect. Perhaps even _can_ not suspect, which is what you hope, I take it." Zelda nodded. "You do realize he must know about this force by now, at least?"

The princess sighed. "I was hoping to hide our approach better, but the river is central to our strategy, for reasons that must be obvious to you." Nabooru nodded, grinning. _She and Ruto do seem to like each other. It's hard to tell, though, seeing how rarely they meet._ Zelda turned to face the desert once more. "Any idea what Ganondorf's up to?"

"He's hitting the valley defense hard, if the Town Market talk is to be believed," Nabooru replied. "The strategy there is obvious. Last anyone heard, however, they were holding." She chuckled. "Most of the rest of the talk is about romance." Zelda bit her lip, feeling the tips of her ears grow warm. "Well, some of it is about Malon and a cute knight she's fawning over, but yes, most of it is about the brave, magnificent princess and her gorgeous peasant Hero." She clasped her hands together and made mock-vacuous eyes. "Oh, it's _sooo_ romantic!" Nabooru placed the back of her hand on her head and pretended to swoon.

"Oh leave off, Nabooru," Zelda replied, folding her arms.

Link trotted over, glancing at the pair oddly, then turned to the Spirit Sage. "Hey Nabooru, where's Telma? You must have brought her with you, right?"

Nabooru's smile vanished, and she looked away. "We...lost her during...one of Ganondorf's recent assaults." Link went pale. _Gods. Telma?_ Zelda remembered the mighty warrior's laugh, her indomitable spirit, her seeming invincibility against the horrors Twinrova had sent against them. _Gone. Just another casualty. I can scarcely believe it._

She shook her head quickly. _No. I can't afford this, not now._ The princess placed a hand on the Hero's shoulder. He took a deep, shuddering breath, then nodded, wiping away a few tears. _Of course. He's visited Nabooru's forces regularly. He must have known Telma well._ Zelda nodded back, patted him on the shoulder, and walked back toward the main body of the force. "Lord General," she called. Onox rode to her side. "Suggestions?"

"Gerudo tactics do not mesh well with the fundamentals of Hylian strategy and planning," he replied evenly. "They will, however, make excellent scouts and bolster the van nicely. I suggest we spread them out along the edge in small squads of four to six, serving with equal numbers of our own scouts. The Hero can take those he knows best with him; they'll no doubt suit his, ah, unorthodox style better than knights."

Zelda ignored the implied insult. "Agreed. I'll make the arrangements..." she looked into the distance. "...shortly. I sense something." Scouts and psychics reacted seconds after she did, the undifferentiated dot resolving into a white mote in the air above a small mass of people. "Is that a flag of truce?" she asked, not bothering to hide her surprise.

Impa appeared beside her. Zelda was mildly surprised to see Onox pull back, his horse rearing slightly. "It is," the Shadow Sage replied. "Ganondorf himself is bringing a small force and what appears to be coffins."

"Coffins?" Zelda peered out into the sands. "Are they trading bodies? I know that's a Gerudo tradition, but I thought Nabooru said he'd abandoned it." She frowned. "Didn't we bury the few Gerudos with that force we ran into last night?"

Impa nodded. "It should be simple enough to retrieve them with sorcery, though." She glared at the white flag as if it were a rattler. "What concerns me is Ganondorf's flexible definition of honor. Some things, he certainly will not do, but deception is part of his blood. Worse, Kotake has no honor at all."

"I don't sense her, and I think I would," Zelda replied, crossing her arms and tapping her shoulder with one finger. "Let's hear what he has to say." With that, she vaulted onto Picori and rode forward. Link made one of his odd sounds of surprise and mounted Epona quickly, riding up to her in moments. Impa simply kept up on foot.

"Gods, Zelda!" Link gripped Epona's reins tightly. He glanced around them, searching for words even as he looked for ambushes, but found neither. Ashei and Rusl caught them up within a minute as well.

"You're cute when you're speechless," Zelda said with a giggle. "Then again, you're always cute." Link's ears turned pink. _I think he's acclimating,_ she mused. Soon, however, she turned her full attention to the approaching force. Ganondorf was on his monstrous black steed, Gerudo horsewomen to either side of him. Three carts brought up the rear. _The dead,_ Zelda realized, growing serious instantly.

"Ah, the Princess Zelda," Ganondorf said with a surprisingly cultured voice. "A pleasure."

"Not a surprise, though, from the sound of it," Zelda replied coolly. "To what do _we_ owe the 'pleasure,' Your Majesty?"

"A trade of casualties," Ganondorf said, gesturing grandly at the carts with a sweep of his arm. "Nothing more." He leaned forward and smiled without kindness or mercy. "I come to crush you tomorrow at the latest." Link rode up and around Zelda to come between her and Ganondorf, an almost feral snarl rippling from him. Zelda placed a hand on his arm and gently guided him back, Epona stepping backwards easily, so she could face their nemesis again. "Consider it a final...courtesy," he said then, chuckling darkly.

"Thank you," Zelda said, voice shifting to full coldness. "We'll return them to Hyrule for proper burial after we put paid to you and your criminals."

Two warriors in purple hissed at that and spurred their horses forward, but Ganondorf held up his hand and they stopped immediately. "Such spirit. And I thought that was Nabooru's position." He began to turn, then glanced back. "Have you any bodies to trade?"

"Not here," Zelda said, sympathy creeping into her voice in spite of herself. "We buried the dead from our last battle. We can use sorcery to retrieve them..."

Ganondorf looked into the distance, eyes unfocusing, and nodded to himself. "That will not be necessary. I know the place. I will use my own powers to return them for proper burning." Zelda nodded. The Gerudo King gestured in dismissal, and his warriors turned to go. "Keep the horses for now. We'll reclaim them at the appropriate time."

"Again, thank you," she said dubiously. Ganondorf glanced behind him while she examined the carts, slowing for the obvious purpose of watching her. _It doesn't matter. I won't let that tyrant unnerve me._ Link and Impa were scanning the coffins and carts with deliberate care, clearly checking for traps. Zelda's clairvoyance told her there were none. It also, however, gave her a nebulous sense of foreboding.

Ice gripped her heart when, with a shock, she realized there was but a single coffin in the rear cart, raised on a small dais, larger than the others. The wood was worked and finished, in tremendous contrast to the crude boxes holding the other soldiers. "no," she whispered, literally flying from Picori onto the cart.

"Zelda, be careful!" Link warned, riding over to her and leaping to her side. Even as close as they'd become, he seemed distant, almost unreal.

The coffin had a golden, stylized image of a crown adorning it. With a cry, Zelda flung it open with her bare hands.

Her father's body was rent with terrible wounds, but his expression was almost serene, his hands folded across his chest as if he were taking a pleasant nap. The corners of his mouth had turned up, hinting at a smile that seemed to have not quite formed, or perhaps not quite faded away. "He died well," Ganondorf called, the sadism gone from his voice. "He could have chosen captivity, a hostage to be held over you, but instead he fought a Gerudo in a duel of honor. He acquitted himself admirably."

Zelda was aware that the evil king had spoken, but the part of her mind that understood him was vague and distant. She fell to her knees, trembling hands tracing the lines of her father's face. He was cold, so cold in spite of the growing heat of the day. His skin was almost clammy, almost unnatural. Throwing her head back, Zelda howled in grief and denial. Link's arms had wrapped around her at some point, and there was a trickle of comfort in that, but cold comfort indeed.

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule was dead. Dead at the hands of Ganondorf Dragmire after triumphing over countless threats to the peace he'd spent a lifetime forging. Zelda's mind and heart returned to the world of the living, and through streams of tears she stared daggers at the black-armored figure retreating across the desert. "You'll pay for this, Dragmire! Do you hear me? YOU'LL PAY!" Spent at last, she fell across her father's body, weeping uncontrollably. The grief seemed endless, but finally even that drained away, as cold and empty as her father's aura. The last thing she heard before Link finally scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the forming camp was Dragmire's accursed laughter, his vile humor having returned at last. _Pray Link kills you, King of Evil,_ she thought bitterly. _I can't find that mercy for you._ She gripped Link's tunic then and sobbed once more, the grief hitting her anew. _Oh, father!_

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Link paced like a caged wolf. _I hate feeling helpless,_ he thought furiously, glancing at the tent that Impa had directed him to after their awful morning. The sun beat down on them relentlessly. It wasn't quite the desert sun, but they were close enough that it, along with the sorrow, sapped the Hylians' strength. Zelda was grieving in that tent, and though he'd gone to her time and again, holding her, doing what little he could to comfort her, the woman he loved simply wasn't there. Her body was, even her mind was, still performing her duties with a dull, empty voice, but her heart and soul seemed to be accompanying her father on his journey. _You were a great man and a great king, Daphnes Nohansen,_ Link thought, grieving more than a little himself. _Din cleanse you, Nayru heal you, and Farore welcome you home._ Surely Daphnes would be welcome in the Sacred Realm, after his many accomplishments and his endless generosity.

Nevertheless, Zelda was unquestionably foremost in his thoughts. _First Senza, now this. It's not fair._ Guilt tried to strike at him then, a viper forming in the shadows, but a lifetime of facing death crushed it aborning. _No. They're right. I can't be everywhere at once._ He turned in his pacing, and stopped at the sight of Impa standing in his path, her eyes taking in both the Hero and the tent opening. "Even you cannot face every foe for her, Hero of Time," she said softly.

"Why not?" Link retorted, suddenly angry. "What says I can't help her now?"

"I did not say you would be of no help," Impa replied gently, and guilt did hit Link then, guilt at taking his own grief out on the Sheikah, "but in the end, only she can decide if she has the strength to face her pain and move on."

"Move on?" Link half-snarled. "She's had hours to deal with the death of her searing _father!_ She's entitled to a little time!"

"What she is entitled to," Impa said sadly, looking out at the desert, "and what destiny will permit her, are two different matters entirely." The Sheikah's eyes narrowed, and needle-blades appeared in her hand. "This is Ganondorf's last cruelty, his final ploy before the hammer-blow. You can protect her from his magic this time, you and the Master Sword. He cannot simply whisk her away. So instead, he strikes at her heart." The Shadow Sage's fist trembled, deadly rage denied release. "He does not believe she can overcome this in time. He will learn, to his sorrow, that he is mistaken."

Link took a breath to argue again, but merely exhaled and nodded. _We have to believe in her. That's the only way we can help her now._ Gritting his teeth, he started towards the edge of the camp, but stopped in surprise at Impa's hand on his shoulder. "That does not mean, Hero of Time," she said with an astonishingly gentle smile, "she won't be glad to see you here when she emerges. We can manage without you for a little longer." With that, she released him, stepped into the tent's shadow and sank into it, vanishing. Link sighed and sat cross-legged on the ground by the tent flap.

#What about you?# Navi asked, her presence on his scalp comforting.

#Me?# Link shook his head. #I'm not the one who lost a father today.#

#No, you're just the one trying to carry the world on his shoulders, and Zelda's grief, and half the army's morale, and...# Navi trailed off. #Give me a minute, I'm sure I'll think of something else.#

Link chuckled in spite of himself. #I'm not a martyr.#

#Could've fooled me,# she 'pathed caustically. #Link, you lost a king, a man who believed in you, and one of your closest allies in the court. Farore, he would've knighted you years ago if you'd let him.# Her energies flowed around him in her mimicry of an embrace. #You're allowed to grieve too.#

#I'll grieve later,# Link sighed. #Navi, if I let it out now, after all the people we've lost, Senza, Telma, the king...I can't. Not yet.# He gazed into the distance. The whirling sands seemed to have a black slash in the heart of them. Link shivered, a memory of Ganon forming for some reason. #I have to be strong, now more than ever. Especially for Zelda.# He chuckled. #I'll curl up into a useless ball of tears later.#

Navi paced on his head for a few moments, then nodded. #I'm going to hold you to that...hey, do you feel something?#

Link stood instantly. _Zelda._ He reached for the flap, but Zelda flung it aside before he could reach it and strode out. "Zel?"

"I'm fine," she said, stopping and staring out at the desert. Then she laughed a sob. "Well, not really. I'm a wreck. But I can pretend to be fine until this is over. My people need me, now more than ever." She threw her arms around him again. "I'm sorry."

"You apologize again," Link blurted in exasperation, "and I'll...I'll..." He glanced up. #Navi, help me out here.#

#Later,# Navi said, strangely cryptic.

"I keep leaning on you when you're already bearing so much of the load," she whispered. "It's not fair."

"Hey," he said, holding her tight, "you've got a whole kingdom to worry about. That load I'm bearing is just my fair share of yours." He raised her chin to look into her eyes. Somehow, he found a smile for her. "Your Hero, remember?"

Zelda nodded then, releasing him, and he let her go as well, though hefting boulders would have been easier in that moment. The princess turned back to face the desert. "He's coming. He's coming, and we have to be ready..." she peered intently at the sandstorm. "...by the gods, what is that?"

The Hero followed her gaze. That black line was still there. _Oh, no._ It was broader at the bottom than the top, and was starting to look jagged at the edges. _Ganon's Tower floated in the air. Gods be good._

Ganondorf was ready for them.

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"What now, Your Highness?" Onox asked flatly, staring at the slowly approaching citadel. Their shadows, and the Tower's, were slowly lengthening in the afternoon sun.

"We stick to the plan," the princess replied, her tone matching his. They watched from their horses, Zelda sure she seemed comically small next to the Lord General but hardly caring. "One way or the other, that Tower won't be as decisive as it may seem right now. Either we will get Link onto it, and he will deal with the evil king there, or Ganondorf will emerge to face us, and his power alone moves it."

Onox snorted. "Foolish. A waste of power."

"If only that were true," Zelda retorted wryly. She gestured at the Tower almost casually. "That's pure psychic force - mind over matter. Resonating with his mana, not using it up." Even Onox boggled at that, head whipping around to look at her with bulging eyes. "I know. That's the might of the Triforce of Power."

"How in the name of the gods can your Hero overcome that?" Onox said, forcing himself not to gasp, but Zelda could hear the effort required in his voice.

"With this," Link said, riding up and drawing the Master Sword. "Psychic talent or sorcerous spell, if magic is infused with evil, the Blade of Evil's Bane grants me some protection from it."

The general glanced over at Link, still dubious from what Zelda could see, but nodded after almost a minute. "Very well." He looked at the Tower again. There seemed to be some kind of motion beneath it, like dark mist or oily rain. "Are you ready for this, Princess Zelda?"

"I'm actually quite calm," Zelda said evenly, hand resting on her sword hilt. "Ganondorf's efforts to twist the knife, ironically, allowed me to expend my grief openly, to accept it and let it have its due." Her grip tightened on her reins, and Picori danced in place for a moment. "The pain is still there. I imagine it always will be. However, I can set it aside to do what I must." Link sheathed the Blade and nudged Epona closer to her, then reached out and held her hand. She squeezed it gratefully. "Also," she said, a ghost of a smile haunting her face, "I have help bearing the burden."

Onox nodded again. "Very good, Your Highness. Our forces are as ready as they can be."

"Good. For now, then, I leave it in your capable hands." She turned and rode back to the heart of the camp, Link following loyally. "You still don't entirely trust him," Zelda whispered once they were out of the general's hearing.

Link shrugged. "It's just a feeling. I already told you about Gorgon, but I've never heard him judge me by Dark Link, and I'm not going to do him that discourtesy."

"For most of us, the matter of Dark Link is something new and strange," she reminded him gently. "Even Veran hasn't had the time to exploit it. Rest assured that she will."

"Oh, that's very comforting," Link drawled. Zelda smiled in spite of herself, the pain receding more than she thought possible. "Whatever noble politics would make of it, I won't judge anyone by the Shadow they cast." He stroked her cheek gently. "I know how little it can truly mean."

Zelda licked her lips and looked away. "That was more me than I care to admit, most days," she whispered. Link took a breath to respond. "We can't worry about her now," she cut in quickly. "This is about Onox. Can you put words to this feeling?"

Link shook his head. "It's not rational. The only word that comes to mind is...hunger. I think he wants something. I don't think even he knows how much he wants it." He turned to look at Onox, who was preparing the defensive line. "If it were simple treachery, he could have undermined Hyrule a dozen times over by now. If I'm right, it has to be more complicated than that."

"I agree." Zelda followed the Hero's eyes, tapping her saddle absently. "And I believe you are right, Link. I sense something about him, some menace coiled within." The Hero's eyes hardened, glittering dangerously towards the Lord General. "Nevertheless, it can wait as long as he acquits himself properly this day."

"Can we be sure he will?" Link whispered. "If Ganondorf has been holding him in reserve, waiting for the perfect moment to strike...this is unquestionably it. He could wait this long to do it, too. Believe me, I know." Epona danced in place, clearly sensing her rider's distress.

"I do not think Onox would betray one master merely to serve another," Zelda said slowly. "One thing I am sure of is that he will not betray Hyrule itself, not in his own eyes at least."

"To betray you _is_ to betray Hyrule," Link growled savagely, turning Epona suddenly to point straight at the general.

"Remember, I said in his eyes," the Sage of Time reminded him quickly, placing a hand gently on his arm. He stilled himself, but she could feel the effort ripple through his body. _Such power. And I can bring it to heel with a touch..._ She shook her head. Something about that thought bothered the princess. "He will not knowingly hand the battle to Ganondorf, no matter what else he might try, and for now, that is what matters." Link's throat echoed with a rumble, menacing to any other but comforting to Zelda. A moment later, though, he relented, nodding reluctantly.

Ashei and Rusl rode up to them. "Your Majesty-" Rusl began.

"Highness," Zelda snapped. Sir Rusl flinched. _Easy,_ she thought guiltily, and forced moderation into her voice. "I haven't been crowned queen yet, and I'll not claim the title presumptuously."

"Veran certainly means to move against you when we return," Ashei said bluntly. "It wouldn't hurt for us to make the point."

"It very well might," Zelda explained more patiently than she wished, "but that is not terribly important, ultimately. I will handle this properly, no matter what others might do." She looked down. "And...I am not ready to hear that yet."

Sir Ashei closed her eyes, and Zelda could almost hear the powerful warrior cursing herself for a fool. Rusl bowed skillfully from his saddle. "We are yours to command, Princess of Destiny," he said. "Please forgive my presumption. If I may, however, that is not what we came to report to you on."

Zelda nodded. "Impa has a report on the strange storm beneath Ganon's Tower?"

Link grinned at Sir Rusl's amazement. "How - ah. I, that is, yes." He forced his discipline to take control, expression hardening. "That 'rain' is the fall of Ganondorf's summoned monstrosities. Enough keese to blacken the sky. Lizalfos, Dinolfos and winged variants. Moblins and their odd green cousins. Mad Deku Scrubs. Stalfos and Stalchildren, and some kind of skeletal hounds that accompany them. Skulltulas and Tektites. Very few Poes, mercifully, and no Wolfos or ReDead that we've seen thus far."

"Thank the gods for that small comfort," Zelda said quietly.

"Small?" Link chuckled ruefully. "Give me three Lizalfos over one ReDead any day."

_They don't remember Castle Town being inhabited by those horrors,_ the princess thought, _and gods willing, they never will._ She smiled encouragingly at the Hero, then faced the Tower again. "The defenses are ready," she said. It wasn't a question, but Rusl nodded all the same. "Then let us prepare. Staged retreats to the river, and we make our stand there..." Her eyes narrowed. "What in Nayru's name?"

Something was flying toward them from the floating Tower, something enormous. Even at their distance, its shadow was plain on the desert sands. Link grimly drew the Master Sword. "To arms, Rusl, but gently." Rusl nodded and retreated to spread the word. Zelda sent images to Onox and those immediately beneath him, and the camp sprang to life, readying its defenses.

"Zelda," Link whispered. Reluctantly, the princess nodded, and the Hero spurred Epona. The great horse launched forward, charging towards the monstrosity. Zelda peered at the creature warily, an instinct causing her to call on her magical senses: clairvoyance, Sheikah sight, aura vision and sorcerous insight. All of them screamed the same warning at her.

#Link! Love of Nayru, don't let it past the defenses!# she 'pathed in near-panic. #That's why Ganondorf's monsters are still under the shadow of the Tower - they've mystically connected that shadow to the creature's! If it flies overhead...#

#I'll stop it, Zel,# he replied grimly. She could almost feel his grip on the Master Sword tighten, but he quickly traded it for the Hookshot. #I promise.#

#Be careful,# she 'pathed, then narrowed their connection to a thread and turned her attention to her people. "Archers up! Knights to the line! Mages at the ready - full wards! With a will!" she commanded, a lifetime of training transforming her voice into thunder. Her people did her proud, leaping to obey and moving with the supreme competence she expected of them. #Impa.#

#We fight in Shadow,# the High Sheikah replied. #Already, as you have guessed, the evil king's forces move. We can slow them, but not stop them.#

Zelda forced her body to appear confident and serene, even as worry roiled in her. #Then as is so often true, all depends on the Hero.#

She was surprised to hear Impa send a laugh through their connection. #He made you a promise, Zelda. Think you he will break it?# Her mentor thinned the link to the merest trickle and turned back to the task of slaying monsters.

Somehow, that bolstered Zelda's confidence. She rode to just behind the main line, then turned to face her people. "I have no great speech for you," she called, "no epic call to arms. You need none! Ganondorf will hear all that needs saying from our swords, spells and souls!" She thrust her sword into the air, and the cheer half-deafened her.

The Sage of Time turned and gathered mana then, the ecstacy of magic and life flowing as one welling within her. The creature, now visibly a heavily armored dragon, was closing, though it thrashed in the air. Zelda's heart leaped into her throat when she saw Link hanging from his Hookshot by its massively barbed tail, Hover Boots glowing uselessly. He switched them out, and suddenly the monster screeched and fell, plates of black armor flying in all directions. _Iron Boots! You brilliant - I love you!_ she exulted, watching him fire Ice Arrows into the thing. _Like Volvagia with wings,_ Zelda realized, _and barding_. The skin was indeed a fiery red underneath, but the horror seemed to lack Volvagia's intelligence, and Link appeared to be doing well. Switching to his enhanced Hover Boots again, he leapt up, running on the air, and slashed mercilessly into the center of its back.

It convulsed and shot back into the air, screaming and thrashing. Spreading its wings wide, it circled quickly in place, monsters springing from its shadow as it passed. "They've given up getting behind our lines!" Zelda shouted, and another cheer roared around her. "Wait for my signal, then show them the folly of threatening Hyrule!"

A wounded Renato appeared at her side, holding up his hands for a second at the sight of Ashei's blade. The knight quickly recognized him and nodded, letting him pass. "Zelda," he said hoarsely, eyes flickering with pain, "he's stopped it, but they're coming, and in numbers beyond belief."

"I know," Zelda said with a nod. "Heal up. I'll command Impa to pull the Sheikah back, and then it begins in earnest."

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"YAH!" Link shouted, leaping away as the animalistic, winged Volvagia duplicate thrashed, fire spurting from rent scales and torn skin. Navi had named it 'Argorok,' which Link recognized; the idea for the creature had been stolen from Zant's future, but the monster itself had been constructed from Volvagia's skeleton and the Triforce's raw might. It certainly looked futuristic to Link with its alien armor. Thankfully, the current variation had fallen to the Master Sword like all the others.

Sheikah danced around him, blades flashing. Lizalfos emerged all around them, many dying by the time they'd fully emerged, but their numbers were simply too great. Stalfos emerged as well, however, far more dangerous than the reptilian beast-men, and Stalchildren accompanied them in staggering numbers. Skulltulas followed, webs whipping around and mandibles slashing the air.

Argorok's explosion put an end to its shadow once the cloud dissipated, Dark Fire falling to the ground and burning low. The corrupted mana-flames did not die out entirely, though, and more monsters emerged from the unnatural fire with each passing second. "Farore," he breathed.

"To the camp!" Impa commanded, and the Sheikah quickly vanished. Link lingered several moments, hoping his spins and slashes could do significant damage. _They can't launch volleys until I'm clear,_ he decided reluctantly, _and I can't possibly be doing enough damage to compensate for that._ With a gesture, he followed the Sheikah through Shadow.

Shadow itself burned distantly, eerie disruption flickering through it. He emerged safely next to Zelda, but he could not deny how shaken he felt. "Fire!" Zelda barked.

"Fire at will!" several commanders echoed as one. Arrows, needle-blades and spells flew forth, Lizalfos and Stalchildren disintegrating by the hundreds. The Stalfos and Skulltulas were more resilient, but they, too, were falling before the onslaught. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all,_ Link hoped for a moment.

Then the Tower wavered in the distance, plummeting to the ground and sinking. It emerged from the Dark Fire, not quite on top of them but far too close for comfort. It did not float up, the base seeming to merge with the sand. The cloud of keese over it shrouded the entire citadel. For a moment, everything went still, the battle seeming to hold its breath. Then every door and window in the Tower exploded open, and what looked like all the horrors of the Evil Realm poured out. "Keep firing!" Zelda commanded. Link didn't need to be told twice, letting arrows fly freely. Psychics kept bundles of arrows floating into quivers, and the sorcerers let loose more deadly powers, but stronger foes were surviving to reach the front barricade. Sheikah danced in and out, and Gerudos almost laughed while they tore into their foul foes.

Link moved to banish his Fairy Bow, but Zelda touched his shoulder and shook her head. Though she didn't even make mental contact, he could feel her wanting him to trust her. _As if I could do otherwise,_ he thought, returning to arrow fire. Navi flitted out repeatedly, giving him supernatural accuracy, but there were just too many of them.

"Fall back!" Zelda shouted. "Second perimeter!"

"Second perimeter!" Onox repeated, voice booming. "You heard her! Move!" They retreated, Link holding his ground to cover those already slowed by wounds. Finally, he leaped back onto Epona, still firing as they fled. Nabooru grimaced from her own magnificent steed, apparently doing nothing but staring. Link knew better, his connection to the Sages telling him she was doing _something,_ though even he had no idea what. Almost in unison, they spurred their horses to leap over the barricade, the last to do so. Link turned and fired into the mass again, Nabooru returning to whatever it was she was so obviously determined to do. For several minutes more, they held back the next wave of attackers, but the results were as familiar as they were inevitable.

"Third perimeter!" Zelda cried, and again they retreated. Casualties were still light and no one had died yet, but it wouldn't be long. Their backs were to the river. The only apparent mercy of their location was two tall hills on either side of their position that narrowed the battlefield. _Gods, let Zelda's plan work,_ Link prayed. The horde of summoned soldiers teemed, more massive than ever. They paused, clearly preparing to charge hard.

In the distance, he saw Gerudos trotting up to the rear of Ganondorf's sorcerous army. Aveil sat tall and imposing on a dark gray charger. She raised her right scimitar. _Here it comes. Gods, it's too bad. I always kind of liked her. What does she see in that sick tyrant, anyway?_ Aveil slashed down, and the almost endless force surged forward.

"NOW!" Zelda boomed, her voice echoing with magical force.

In an instant, the army of evil was under assault from every direction. Marth charged from behind the hills, half the Altean army coming down with him. Gorons exploded from those same hills as well as the ground around the monsters, rolling in a crushing, implacable wave led by Brother Darunia. Ruto herself emerged next to Zelda, letting loose a warbling, musical cry that reminded Link of their battle in the Hall of Illusion, and Zoras turned the river into an exploding fountain, flashes of power bursting from their arm fins. Link smiled with fond memories of a guitar and a woman very much like the Zora princess.

Ruto laughed then, leaping onto Epona behind him and hugging him joyfully from behind. "Banish the bow, I have something for you!" Zelda blinked in amazement, still firing balls of lightning from her blade, but nodded. Link sent the bow back into fairy space, and the moment his hands were free, Ruto slapped an arc of white and gold into his hand, a bright blue gem set in the center and one angle looking like a wing. The energy of Farore herself seemed to flow within it. "Happy birthday!" the Zora princess shouted, leaping off the horse again and moving forward carefully. Her fins flashed with magical force, waves of energy tearing through the enemy ranks. _It's a boomerang,_ Link realized. _I think._

"Hi! I'm the Fairy of Winds!" the boomerang said, and Link nearly dropped it. "Saria and Ruto worked on this gift for you, and when I sensed their intent, I knew Farore would wish me to give you the blessing of my magic. With this instrument, the power of gales will be at your command!"

"Wow," was all Link could say. Looking around and hefting the weapon experimentally, he saw that the keese were threatening to break through the sorcery and arrow flights through sheer numbers. _Power of the gale, huh? Let's see._ With a flicker of concentration, he sent Navi flying among the keese. He almost got dizzy, as did Navi, when she harmonized with no less than five of the obnoxious creatures.

#It's the Wind Fairy,# Navi explained woozily. #Her power is enhancing my own!#

_Is that so?_ Link grinned menacingly, then threw the Gale Boomerang with all his strength. A whirlwind whipped around the fantastic weapon, sending countless keese crashing into each other. _They're too thick in the sky for them to deal with a weapon like this,_ he thought, watching in awe as the boomerang returned to his hand. _Amazing!_ A part of him was a boy again, marveling at the Zora wonder of his childhood. He'd returned the original to the aquatic people long ago, but the Gale Boomerang fit his adult's hand, and it was _his._ He let the weapon fly, and again it crushed keese wholesale. Best of all, he could call back his shield to his right arm, and he rode closer to the main line.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite lazy Hero," Marth called, Falchion swirling with vast mana. The king of Altea leaped, cleaving a Stalfos in half with one blow.

"Hey, Your Majesty," Link replied lightly, throwing the boomerang as quickly and frequently as he could. "Crown's not too tight, is it?" The rest of him slowed, however, Falchion's swirling circle of light and magic evoking a similar image around the Master Sword. _That's not a memory. It can't be. I'm just thinking of the Helix Sword._ Yet it felt like one, a feeling so familiar it might as well have been a memory...

"Hah!" Marth leaped a dozen feet up, slashing upward and impaling a flying Lizalfos in mid-air. Navi dubbed the creature an Aeralfos, and Link brought a second down with the Hookshot, catching its shield. He dismounted, drew his sword and slashed it apart quickly. "Is this the great threat you spoke of? Fools by the thousand are still fools!"

"This?" Link laughed mirthlessly. "This is Ganondorf's warm-up band. Don't worry, the real thing's on its way." Frowning then, he looked at the Master Sword oddly. Focusing his energies, remembering what Zelda had taught him about mana and psychic harmony, he concentrated on the blade's Power to Repel Evil. "Yah!" he cried, swinging it as if trying to cut through an Armos. A burst of spiraling power shot from the legendary blade, which glowed golden for a second, and threw Lizalfos back where it struck. "Gods be good."

"When did you learn _that_ trick?" Marth said, gaping even as he cut down another Dinolfos.

Link smiled, too busy to rub the back of his neck. "Um, just now?" He fired several more blasts into the ranks of monsters, then switched back to the Gale Boomerang as the keese cloud started reforming. "Actually, I think I learned it a thousand years from now." Marth glanced sideways at him, though his swordsmanship didn't suffer. "Hero of Time, I guess," Link explained sheepishly.

The monsters slowed, stopped entirely, then fell back. The allied forces cheered. "Aw, leaving so soon?" Ruto called mockingly, leaning over and blowing a kiss. "We were just starting to enjoy ourselves!" The Zoras and Gerudos laughed, though the others chuckled nervously at most.

Link merely shook his head and grinned. "Ruto," he said with fond exasperation. Then a harsh, searing wind rolled across the battlefield, and a black dot flew towards them. What looked like a red banner to the ignorant flowed behind it. The Hero's heart stopped for an instant. He didn't have to guess what they saw. A wave of power flew at them, and the wards shuddered. Immediately, he drew the Master Sword and ran past the defense field, holding the Blade of Evil's Bane high. A second wave shattered against the Power to Repel Evil.

Ganondorf's laughter echoed around them. "Clever, Hero." He held his hands high, and almost limitless power surged around them. "Not clever enough, alas." He brought his hands down, and the earth screamed in protest. The two hills providing the alliance cover shattered, and he threw the mass of rubble aside with twin casual gestures. Kotake raced to his left, cackling with hateful glee, and a Gerudo rode Phantom Ganon's armored, flying steed to his right. The monsters' offensive began to spread, sprawling across the riverbank in an attempt to flank the alliance, but the Gorons, Zoras, and flying mages were able to keep up easily. _Whether they can hold off the attack is another story,_ Link thought furiously, _but Ganondorf's the heart of it all._ Onigami demanded to be used; Link ignored it.

Again, the Hero thrust the Master Sword into the air. "It's time, Ganondorf! Face me!"

"Oh, I will," Ganondorf hissed, smiling with terrible satisfaction, "but first, I mean to claim something of yours." Link's heart froze with terror. _Zelda!_ Faster than he thought possible, he had the Fairy Bow in his hand, and a Light Arrow flew out. Ganondorf pulled his cape around, grunting slightly at the impact, then threw his arms out and laughed. _That was unpleasantly familiar,_ he thought darkly. "Is that your best, Hero of Time? For if it is, I fear your precious princess is-"

"Right here!" Zelda roared, Light Arrows of her own flying out at the trio. The Gerudo rode downward, snarling as she charged the line. Marth readied himself to meet her. Kotake held up her sister's broom and transformed into Twinrova, flying at the Sage of Time. Zelda slowed for a moment, then glared at the evil sorceress. Her Light Boots flared, and she rocketed toward her opponent, lightning around each hand.

While Ganondorf stared in surprise at Zelda, Link summoned the Iron Boots to his feet and called the Hookshot to his hand. He fired, and the distracted King of Evil fell to earth with an undignified yelp and grunt that satisfied the Hero to no end. "Let's end this," Link snarled, baring his teeth and drawing the Master Sword. A flicker of thought sent a bright yellow Navi hovering over Link's foe.

Ganondorf regarded the young Hylian for a moment. "Why not?" he replied, holding out one hand. The largest sword Link had ever seen appeared in the evil king's hand, its huge, arcing head gleaming in the falling sun's light. "You aren't the one I want to destroy." The villain held the blade in both hands, sliding into a casual ready stance. "You, I simply want to kill."

"The feeling," Link growled, "is mutual."

Their eyes locked. Lightning flashed, and thunder boomed in the distance. With a simultaneous scream, Hero and King charged at each other.

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"Fool of a princess! I am not merely Kotake - you face Twinrova now!" The witch formed a blade of ice and flew for Zelda's heart.

_Indeed,_ Zelda thought caustically, forming a triangular shield of golden light. Twinrova bounced off and flew around, laughing and circling like a falcon. _Bit off a little more than we can chew, oh mighty Princess of Destiny?_ She threw another lightning ball at the sorceress, who batted it away with her fire wand. Twinrova countered with a jet of flame, which Zelda diverted with a waterspout from one finger. The witch bared her teeth angrily and flew at her again, forming a second scimitar out of flame and spinning like a demented elemental Link.

Zelda dove, avoiding the whirling doom and firing pure Light at Twinrova from below. The Gerudo righted herself and countered with a beam of Shadow from her eyes. As they had a year ago, their polar forces met, but the shock shot up Zelda's arm painfully. _Twinrova is far more powerful than Kotake alone. I can't fight her like this. Come on, Miss Triforce of Wisdom, use your head!_ The princess retreated, angling back up. Twinrova stalked her with an infuriatingly casual air. "You can't win, little girl," Twinrova laughed, her voice full and rich with life in direct contrast to Kotake's heartless timbre. "Yield, and Ganondorf might let you live - as a chambermaid." Again she laughed, the sorceress' own humor endlessly amusing to her.

"What, the Great King of Evil can't dress himself?" Zelda replied bitingly, throwing a crackling ball of electricity behind her. Carefully, she arced it down, around and back up behind her foe.

Twinrova obliterated the attack with a dismissive wave of her fire scepter. Zelda gritted her teeth furiously, her Light energy slowly failing against the unbelievably powerful Shadow attack. "Oh, hardly. Ganondorf's chosen bride will most likely need time to...acclimate to her new station."

"You mean recover from being broken!" Zelda snarled, the image of Nabooru in chains granting her renewed strength. Mana flowed through her, and she halted Twinrova's advance. "Vile monster, twisting the hearts and souls of others like toys!"

"Why not? To such as we, lesser beings are as toys. We have the power to alter reality itself, little girl." Twinrova focused, and Zelda felt her Light Force slowly giving way to Shadow once more. "Fools like you who defend the weak are in opposition to natural law. You and your cute little Hero will fall. It is inevitable."

Fighting to hold her ground, Zelda circled and tried to touch Shadow herself. Dividing her attention was too dangerous, though - she lost more ground than she could afford in that brief attempt, and threw her focus back into wielding Light. "Nabooru will die before she'll be Ganondorf's slave!"

"Nabooru?" Twinrova asked mockingly. "That ingrate? Who ever said anything about Nabooru?"

Zelda flowed backwards, leading Twinrova away from the main battle. _At least I can keep her away from Link,_ she thought with frustration. The idea of needing him to rescue her again was almost unbearable, especially now that he was fighting Ganondorf himself. _If being defeated by Twinrova is the price I must pay to help Link, though, so be it._ Frowning at Twinrova's comment, her mind grappled with the response and came up empty. "Who else? He can't mean to claim a Sheikah."

Twinrova's joviality vanished, and she bared her teeth. "A stinking Sheikah? You'll be the last of their kind, sow - a broken, whimpering thing spending the rest of your life begging for mercy!"

"Unlikely," Zelda drawled, using Twinrova's distraction to regain some ground. The Gerudo sorceress put an end to that quickly, however. "I'll die before I yield to you, and so will every woman I know."

"Truly?" Twinrova asked, Kotake's cunning seeping into her voice. "Would not a genuinely brave princess surrender herself that her people might be spared?"

"I thought I was going to be a chamberma-" Zelda's thoughts crashed into one another, piling into a mental wreck. "You cannot be serious! She'd never survive!" The Sage's mind raced out. #Ruto! Stay away from Ganondorf!#

#You can't be serious!# Ruto shot back. #Have you seen that duel? Link needs our help!#

#Someone else will help him,# Zelda retorted hotly, her ferocity almost hiding her worry. #Ganondorf has chosen a queen, and your refusal is apparently not acceptable.#

#What - _my_ - gaaah!# The Zora princess recoiled mentally. #That's disgusting! Besides, I'm already married!#

Zelda descended again, fighting grimly against Twinrova's advance. #I'm sure the King of Evil can deal with such a 'trivial' problem.# She let her fear for her friend ripple across their communion. #Please, Ruto! I wouldn't wish that on Veran, let alone you!#

#What about Link?# Ruto 'pathed quietly, firing more blasts into the enemy's monstrous ranks. #This fight's spreading all across the river. There aren't many left who can help him. Marth, maybe, but he's engaged with the Gerudo on that accursed flying horse.#

#For now, we must believe in him,# Zelda replied, hating the decision. _Such decisions are my duty, though._ #He defeated Ganondorf once before, with far less experience. He can do it again.#

Ruto nodded with fierce reluctance. #For now, then. If he gets in over his head, though, and you're still dancing with that sow...I don't abandon my friends.# The Zora swallowed in spite of herself. #Even in the face of, of that.#

As frustrated as Zelda was, she couldn't help tears of pride forming. _What did I do to deserve friends like her?_ she wondered briefly. Her attention returned to Twinrova, scant seconds having passed in the physical world. _I won't let them down!_ From depths the Princess of Destiny hadn't thought she had, Zelda found the strength to fight Twinrova back to a standstill. "What in Farore's name does a Gerudo want with a Zora bride?"

The Gerudo shrugged. "He finds her courage and ferocity invigorating, and the cool, fluid nature of their kind attractive. It was Hyrule's winds he coveted first, you see," she explained, fire and ice forming at her sides, "cool breezes that bring life rather than death. She reminds him of those winds. A foolish thing, perhaps, but no one ever accused the heart of being wise." Once more, Twinrova laughed, but it came out a cackle, Kotake's sadism sneaking past the mighty facade. "Why would the Hero love you, otherwise?"

_Link,_ Zelda thought, inspiration striking suddenly. _What would he do? Something clever, something unexpected._ She dodged the matching streams of flame and cold. _Think, Zelda, think! What would work against fire and ice alike?_ Zelda glanced around, eyes skipping across the river quickly lest her foe catch her realization. _Of course!_ The princess dove sharply, giving up the clash of powers and evading the Shadow blast. Twinrova screamed triumphantly and shot after her. _That's it...a little more...a little more..._ Zelda dodged, weaving through the air to evade bursts of flame and frost. _Now!_ Spinning, her azure garb whirling around her, she thrust her boots down to stop with a suddenness that made her very bones protest. Twinrova shot past her, and Zelda hit the sorceress with all her mental might. Before the Gerudo knew what was happening, she was immersed in the river, half boiling, half trapped in ice of her own making.

"He loves me for my mind," she quipped, hands on her hips. Twinrova thrashed in desperate confusion, powers flailing wildly. Zelda quietly helped her expend her mana, subtly manipulating the flows of magical energy around the sorceress. While Twinrova fought free, the princess gathered Light and Shadow, each in one hand.

Finally, both fire and ice gave way to Dark Fire, and the evil mage exploded from the water. The elemental affinities returned around her, the plumes jetting from her head once more and the wands lighting up with their powers. "A clever trick," Twinrova rasped, "but no more."

"Oh, but it was _much_ more," Zelda replied, holding up her hands casually. Twinrova recoiled. "It gave me time to think, to understand you. For all your matching heat and cold, you have no balance. Dark Fire is nothing more than a corruption of that 'natural law' you value so highly," she mocked furiously, advancing while the sorceress retreated in horror. "You wield only Shadow, never accepting the importance of Light!"

"That's what your father thought too," Twinrova hissed.

Zelda froze. "What about my father?" she asked with a shaken whisper.

"Oh, a Gerudo warrior slew him, to be sure," the sorceress laughed through a cough, "but how do you think he became a prisoner in the first place?" A ball of Dark Fire formed in her hands.

Zelda screamed and unleashed Light and Shadow alike. Twinrova howled and responded with the poison flame.

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"SEI-YAH!" Link roared, spinning in a burning arc. Ganondorf parried, his massive blade as effective a barrier as the Hero's own shield. The evil king counterattacked, whirling the greatsword in his hands into a scything death trap, but Link blocked with his invincible shield. Both jumped back then, panting. Hero and monarch alike probed wounds, grimacing. Neither was unscathed - far from it - but Link wasn't ready to drop any time soon, and if the arrogant look on his face was any indication, neither was Ganondorf. "I won't let you win," Link said, voice heavy with weariness. Again, the Fierce Deity pulsed in his fairy space. Again, Link refused to consider the entity.

"You've got guts, kid. I like your attitude!" Link grimaced as Ganondorf laughed. "Fool boy. I have power beyond even your imagining, and I know what you have faced."

Link pointed the Master Sword straight at his foe's empty heart. "Unlikely."

"Oh, so? HAH!"Ganondorf held up a hand, and a flash of light summoned a chain to it, a chain that led to a glowing door in the air. The king yanked on it, and the manacled Arbiter stumbled through to the evil king's side. The Hero shuddered in horror. "Time is _mine,_ kid! You can't save it, and the Sage can't predict it! The Arbiter thought he could manipulate me, but as you can see, I've outmaneuvered you all!"

"You...monster..." Link slid back. Navi was fighting down panic, but she couldn't hide her feelings from her partner.

"Monster?" The Arbiter asked coldly. "Fool is closer to the truth." Ganondorf whirled around to gape, goggle-eyed, at his captive. "Even the gods themselves wield Time but lightly and carefully. The rules Link was forced to adhere to were intended to protect the streams of time. You have treated that most sacred of elements like another tool, a plaything!" The Arbiter shrugged, and the enchanted manacles rusted away to dust in an instant. Ganondorf backpedaled warily then, bringing his sword to bear. "The gods have given you every chance imaginable to see your folly, but one cannot expect sight from a man who chooses to be blind." The cloaked figure began to grow then, slowly increasing in size. "By taking action against me, you have freed my heart - and allowed me to wield my abilities against _you."_

"You will not defy me!" Ganondorf thrust his fist into the air, Triforce symbol glowing upon it. "I am Ganondorf Dragmire, Lord of Power and King of Evil! You cannot match my might!"

"True enough," the Arbiter said, voice showing emotion at last - sadness - "but you were meant to be so much more, Forger of Strength." Ganondorf scowled furiously, but the Arbiter, already twice Ganondorf's size, ignored him, turning to Link then. Enough light penetrated the hood to hint at a smile beneath it. "This task is yours, Juror of Courage, but know that all your sacrifices will not be in vain. Whatever else transpires this day, the Hero of Time's legend shall ever be a beacon to those who would resist evil." The cloak flew wide then, and the hood seemed to flatten, its tip flowing down like a hooked beak. Then the figure erupted into a storm of feathers, vanishing entirely from the mortal realm save for the fluttering pinions it left behind.

Link gasped. "K-Kaepora?" he whispered, the feathery rain swirling around him almost like an embrace. Navi boggled silently, for once at a loss for words. Somewhere in the distance, he thought he heard an echoing hoot. He knew he saw a shaft of Light explode down on the other end of the desert - _the Arbiter's Grounds!_ - and the Light Medallion he carried in fairy space filled him with new strength even as its counterpart vanished. Fights slowed and even stopped around them, everyone from kings to monsters drawn to the overwhelming presence.

#Now, Hero! Hoot hoot!# Kaepora's comforting presence seemed to flow around the Hero, infusing him with a power at once alien and familiar. #Your talents of past and future alike are yours - the price this Demon Thief now pays for his folly! Use them, and restore peace and justice to the land!#

Power and knowledge filled him in a rush, the streams of time becoming whitewater rapids. He fought Agahnim, fought Vaati, trained with a golden wolf that became a noble knight with the look of a Stalfos, became four heroes, became a wolf himself, faced the terrible Mandrag - Ganon? - after Vaati unwittingly freed him, battled the mad Zant with a blade bathed in Light, caught wind in a jar, caused earthquakes with a sword-thrust into the ground, adopted an acerbic hat and a menacing imp - each becoming the dearest of friends - and always, ever the owner of his heart, ever a part of his soul, was his Zelda. From one end of time to the other, they were always together.

Link felt invincible. He thrust his shield at the stricken Ganondorf, knocking him off-balance, then leaped over him and slashed at his head. The evil king howled in pain and rage and spun a deadly slash at the Hero, but he was suddenly naught but a pair of footprints in the sand, invisible. Link dodged, releasing the magic to trade it for a burst of wind that knocked the Gerudo away. He leaped, blasting with fire, then ice, aim perfected by his connection with Navi. Grinning at the knowledge of a trick that had eluded him, he nocked an arrow and focused on another weapon in his arsenal. Ganondorf righted himself just in time to see a glowing crimson arrowhead in his face, which proceeded to explode on impact. An adaptation occurred to the Hero, and he merged another item with the arrowhead. A Deku Nut Arrow flashed out, blinding the Gerudo with a shot between his eyes.

"ENOUGH!" the King of Evil roared, flying into the air again. "HAH!" He threw a ball of power at the Hero, who grinned and parried it with the Master Sword. The familiar, deadly game of badminton played out once more, Link managing to stun the villain after several volleys. Immediately, he nocked a Light Arrow and fired, driving Ganondorf to earth. He leaped and slashed, his spin a fantastic, devastating thing. Finally, Ganondorf screamed in frustrated fury and launched into the air once more. He called the greatsword into his hand and braced himself to swoop down. "Oh no, Hero, not again. I will not face you the same way twice! This duel will end with one simple truth - I can fly, and you cannot!"

Link merely smiled at that, concentrating. Great wings of Light sprang from his back, his Hover Boots appearing and glowing in golden harmony with Kaepora's gift. "'Oh, so?'" he said, mimicking Ganondorf's voice as much as he was able. With a flap of the beautiful wings, he soared into the air and pointed the Master Sword at Ganondorf. "Yield or die," he said simply.

He and Ganondorf literally flew at each other, swords striking with bone-jarring force. They bounced back, thrown away from each other by their own impact. Ganondorf laughed. "It won't be that easy, kid!" Each braced to fly at the other again, but stopped when Kotake fell between them, landing face-first in the sand.

Zelda hovered above them, arms folded. Link's heart soared even higher than the Hero himself. "Yes it will," she said menacingly, conjuring her Light Bow. "You aren't going to touch my Hero again."

"You had your chance, woman," Ganondorf growled. "This duel is between me and the boy you hide behind. Interfere, and it will go poorly for you." He snapped his fingers, and a squadron of Aeralfos soared towards them.

Kotake turned over, reaching up weakly. "Ganondorf..." she pleaded.

"On the other hand, I am feeling merciful after that," the mighty sorcerer chuckled darkly, gesturing vaguely at the witch.

The Gerudo King and Princess of Destiny both ignored Kotake after that, but Link glanced down warily. In spite of all she'd done, he couldn't help feel a touch of sympathy."I don't hide behind anyone," Zelda said coldly. "It is simply that a monarch's vision must go beyond herself."

"Hylian excuses!" Ganondorf barked. "Hylian cowardice! I'll teach you grasslanders honor if I have to ram it down your throats!"

"Gerudo honor is not the only honor," she hissed. "You have style and presence, Ganondorf, but in the end you're just another bigot."

Ganondorf smiled then, turning his gaze back to Link. "Oh, so? ONOX!"

From below, the general gazed up. "What do you want, Great King of Evil?" Link's eyes flashed from Ganondorf to Onox in a near-panic. Zelda watched them warily. _Gods, no!_

"Deal with the princess. Oh, and open up that accursed left flank. Darunia annoys me." Ganondorf floated around to flank Link himself, the Hero turning to face the villain.

"You didn't really think I'd serve you, did you, Gerudo?" the Lord General scoffed. "You take such pride in using people, but in the end, I - and Daphnes, of course," he added as an afterthought, "understood you long before we met." Link exhaled in relief, body slumping in midair. Zelda didn't quite relax.

"Did you, now?" Ganondorf's smile turned colder than Kotake's ice. "You think you can wield my Dark Fire against me?" The evil king gestured. Link soared at him, but Ganondorf dodged easily, evading the Light Arrows fired by Zelda as well.

Onox chuckled, crushing an Iron Knuckle beneath his massive flail. "You think I didn't prepare for that? A powerful sorcerer has warded-" Hylian symbols flared and shattered around the general, and he screamed.

"Wards enough to resist _me,_ and the Triforce of Power?" Ganondorf laughed as Onox's body mutated, stretched, and turned into a massive dragon similar to Argorok, dark gray with a huge crimson gem imbedded in his forehead. "I think not."

"...ganondorf..." Kotake rasped.

"Oh for Din's sake, will you die already," the evil king muttered in annoyance. "Onox! Heed me, and bring me Ruto!" The terrible dragon roared and flew to obey.

"No-" Link turned to fly after the thing, but Zelda was ahead of him, firing Light Arrows at the dragon. _Farore, what a mess! How are we supposed to fight Onox, protect Ruto _and_ deal with Ganondorf, while facing his entire army?_

"...wh-what?..." Kotake breathed, eyes wide.

The Gerudo King glanced down, truly noticing Kotake at last. "After my childhood 'training,' did you expect anything less? 'Love is a lie. To care is to be weak.' You are not a beloved parent or a treasured mentor, fool - you are a Gerudo warrior, nothing more than another tool, and a failure of one at that! That grassland king died with more honor than you show here! Either fight or cross over already, sow!" Link was so stunned he didn't attack in that moment.

"...you...you...AS YOU WISH!" Kotake screamed, digging her nails into her chest. She split herself open, Dark Fire exploding from her body. She screamed louder with each passing second, and her body convulsed. For a moment, she seemed to think better of her sacrifice, trying to push her torso back together, but the burst of power had consumed too much of her by then, and she went limp.

The Fire enveloped Ganondorf, who flailed wildly. Link slid back warily. "No! NO! I am the master! He is the puppet! YOU WILL NOT DO THIS THING, KOTAKE! I WILL NOT ALLAARRR!" Ganondorf disappeared in a massive field of Dark Fire.

_So much for him,_ Link thought, some part of him feeling sorry for the evil king. _A death I wouldn't wish on anyone._ He shot down to the ground then, seeing Zelda and Ruto dancing around the maddened Onox-Dragon. "Any ideas, Zel?" he called out.

"The gem!" Zelda replied, firing another arrow. Onox deflected it with one mighty claw. "It's the heart of the curse!"

_Of course. Like Zant's shadow-shard curse._ Link shook his head quickly, banishing the future 'memory,' and soared down. Onox caught him hard with a massive swipe, much faster than the Hero had expected, and he landed hard. Zelda and Ruto both gasped in horror, then covered for him with streams of their respective blasts. Again Link flew up, taking advantage of the distraction, this time sending Navi to lock onto the gem. She did, turning green, and he dove at the shimmering stone with a fierce cry.

It shattered before the Blade's Power, and Onox collapsed into himself, becoming Hylian once more. His armor was rent and he fell to the ground, limp, but he was breathing and more or less intact. Link fell to his knees, exhaling. "It's over," he gasped wearily.

"Over?" A booming voice laughed, deep enough to make Ganondorf sound like Lady Mila. Cold, sick fear threaded through Link's blood, and he stood to turn. Zelda clutched his arm desperately, and Ruto stumbled back in horror. Onigami roared with frustration, demanding release. This time, Link seriously considered it.

Ganon rose from Kotake's Dark Fire. More titanic and monstrous than ever, he looked like the creature Link had fought so many years ago, save for three differences. His skin was blue instead of green, he was half again the size of the one from the other time stream, and he wielded a trident that radiated unending power. Stomach dropping away, Link recognized it from both the past and the future. "Hardly, boy. You face not a king of evil, but evil's GOD!" He laughed, raising his trident to the sky. Lightning blasted the ground around him. _"Free!_ After over a thousand years of scheming and waiting, free at _last!"_

_Oboy._

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It was her every nightmare reborn. The pig-like titan strode towards the princess, towards _her Hero,_ trident gleaming almost blood-like in the last rays of the setting sun. His smile was an abomination, a vicious slash across his great, terrible snout, showing a complete lack of concern as he stomped forward. Link became a blur, downing a Blue Potion, then readied himself with a courage Zelda envied. She strode to his side, hoping the skirting hid the shake in her legs. _I can't let him get too far away,_ the princess thought with determination. _I won't let him face that thing alone again._

"So, little Hero," Ganon laughed, "are you ready to die?"

"I've been ready since the moment I entered the Great Deku Tree," Link replied calmly. "How about you?"

The giant beast leaned down, eyes at once huge and beady glittering with inhuman amusement. "Fool boy. I wield the Triforce of Power. You think you faced me before? Bah! I am he who bound Nayru! Only Din and Farore combined could overwhelm me, and even they could only imprison me!" He stood as upright as his twisted body allowed, then, thrusting the trident high. "Last time, I was but a shadow of my true self! Now, I am all I have ever been and more! Now, you face _Mandrag Ganon!"_ He laughed, and lightning rained down on them.

Zelda gasped and threw up force barriers to the best of her power, but Link actually smiled. He shifted his right arm, and the Hylian Shield flickered away, replaced by the Mirror Shield. A lightning bolt struck it, angled perfectly to smash the boar-man in the face. "GAAAH! Accursed spawn of Farore!" Ganon spun his Trident of Power, and balls of flame shot out in every direction.

Link immediately charged in, leaping between the fire bursts and slashing with the Master Sword. Zelda heeled him closely, firing Light Arrows as quickly as she formed them. "Watch out for the keese!" Link called.

"Keese? What keese?" Zelda asked, ducking beneath a maddened swirl of the trident. The fires turned into keese made entirely of flame and shot at the pair. "Oh, for - Nayru's Love!" she cried, the familiar field protecting her as the impacts threw her back and forth. Link dodged them as if he knew how they would move, but froze for an instant when he saw Zelda being battered.

"HAH!" Ganon roared, hammering the Hero and pinning him to the ground between two tines. "Too easy!" Lightning swirled above them once more.

"LINK!" Navi wailed from above Ganon's head.

_NO!_ Zelda poured all her power into the arrow she summoned, wove Light and Shadow together, bound them with Time, and loosed it. She struck him in the crook of his elbow, and he jerked back with a pained howl of frustration. The Sage of Time smiled coldly when the lightning bolt he'd summoned struck the trident shaft, shocking him further but leaving Link untouched. "I told you already - don't touch my Hero!" she shouted.

Zelda backed away then, eyes wide at the hateful stare Ganon threw her. _It makes Ganondorf look like Saria,_ she thought, swallowing. "You," he growled. "You are the key to Nayru." He stomped towards the princess, who fired arrows in a constant stream. He parried every bolt with the trident, which glittered with golden triangles. _Triforce of Power. Oh, that's not good._ The ground shook as Ganon closed. "I will tear you open as Kotake did herself, and draw my beautiful azure goddess from your bones." He stabbed at Zelda, the princess barely evading the thrust. "Perhaps, if she pleads suitably, I might even forgive her."

Suddenly, Ganon reared and screamed in agony, the Master Sword rending his back. Zelda laughed then. "You forgot Link? You _forgot_ the _Hero?_ And we're supposed to be afraid of you?" The giant thrashed and convulsed, Link leaping impossibly to spin and slash at the monster's head. Leaving a mass of gouges on top of Ganon's scalp, Link jumped away, kicking the evil anti-god in the forehead and diving to Zelda's side.

Her Hero stood before her protectively, shield up, while Ganon staggered back and reeled. _For once, I'm not complaining,_ Zelda decided, forcing herself not to shudder. Link glanced back. "How's everyone else doing?" The Hero asked.

Zelda frowned, concentrating. "Not good. The monsters are uncoordinated, but there's a lot more of them now, and we don't have a general." Her frown faded as she sensed Ganondorf's Gerudo moving. "The Gerudos' loyalty doesn't seem to extend to Mandrag, though. They're headed towards us, and right now their general doesn't feel like our enemy."

"Good," Link said, nodding wearily. "Aveil's not that bad, really. Just devoted to her accursed king." He glared up grimly at Ganon. "Go lead the army. I'll deal with pork chop here."

"Right," Zelda drawled, dismissing her Light Bow and forming fields of Light and Shadow around her hands. "I love you for that, Link, but there's no way I'm leaving you to fight that thing alone."

Her Hero grimaced. "So send Impa, Ruto and Darunia," he shot back. "Marth, if you can spare him."

_Din burn the man, he's right - wait!_ Zelda stood bolt upright. "Marth! That's it!" She laughed in spite of Ganon pounding towards them, Dark Fire and raw power flaring around him. "Link, we've got the greatest general alive on our side!"

The Hero sighed and nodded. "Can you reach him?"

Zelda shot her best 'oh, please' look at him, and he grinned sheepishly. The princess concentrated, and psychically found Marth grimly doing battle with a Moblin. With a thought, Zelda yanked the monster's spear from its grip, and Falchion cleaved it from snout to belt. #Marth, we need you to take command of the alliance,# she 'pathed.

#What about you?# Marth asked, slicing down two Lizalfos on his way to a Stalfos threatening another Altean.

#One, you're a better general than I am. Two, I'm going to be busy.# She sent an image of Ganon to him. #I'll let Darunia, Ruto, Nabooru and my commanders know.# Zelda rolled away from another slash, letting the balls of flame knock her back while Nayru's Love protected her. #I'll assign a psychic to you as well, if you wish.#

#Psychic communications...# Marth smiled like one of Ruto's sharks, crushing the Stalfos with a final blow that shattered its bones to powder. #...yes, I believe I would.#

Almost absently, Zelda cast mental packets of information to the relevant commanders, then turned her full attention to Ganon. Already, she could sense her forces rallying, the Altean king preparing to drive through the chaotic enemy's ranks in several thin spots along the river. The boar-god glanced back and forth along the battle lines and laughed. "How amusing! You think military tactics can save you?"

Link spun the Master Sword in his hand, circling their foe with a concentration that seemed almost able to pierce the beast with pure will alone. "Why not? You think raw power can save _you,_ no matter how many times we prove you wrong."

"Why you...you..." Ganon snorted, roared and charged, trident spinning into a blur. Link stood his ground, sword back and ready. Just when Zelda thought he couldn't escape, he leaped to the side, rolled, and spun up Ganon's back, slashing up his spine almost to the monster's neck. Ganon stumbled and squealed, throwing his head back to scream to the heavens. Zelda didn't waste an instant, firing Light Arrows into Mandrag's body and head.

"ENOUGH!" Ganon hammered the base of his trident into the ground, which roiled and shook like the sea in a storm. Zelda took to the air, racing back, but Link stumbled and rolled away, coming back towards her.

#Fly, Link!# she 'pathed desperately, firing a ball of lightning into their foe's eyes. Ganon swept it aside, but Link obeyed immediately, exquisite wings forming to soar to her side before the villain could attack him.

#Oh, yeah, thanks,# he replied sheepishly, shield hovering near her protectively. #Still not used to that.#

Zelda nodded, then held out her slender sword, pointing it at Ganon. "You cannot defeat us both, vile one," she intoned, Hyrule's royalty pronouncing sentence. "Return to your eternal prison, or face true judgement."

Lightning flashed on the horizon. In the distance, the skies wept for the dead, rain mourning the fallen heroes. Ganon laughed more uproariously than ever. "I'm done playing with you two," he said through the snorts of amusement. "Have you no idea what you face?" He held up his trident and shouted a wordless command. Debased mana flared, Dark Fire flickering where the energies were corrupted. More of Ganon's legions appeared wholesale around the heroes, particularly the aerial forces - Aeralfos, 'anti-fairy' flying skulls, keese, and black, twisted butterfly-like things with scythes for arms and a single, unblinking eye each.

"Mothulas," Link sighed, answering Zelda's unspoken question about the unfamiliar beasts. He perked up suddenly, eyes dancing with a clever light. "Do you trust me?"

"Are you kidding?" she replied with a smile. He reached out his hand, and Zelda took it. Link summoned the Iron Boots, and they hit the ground with a jarring thump. The Hero called forth the Ocarina, Zelda looking at it with some surprise. _We're not leaving, are we?_ she wondered, but quickly recognized the music filling the air, and smiled.

The Song of Storms.

The princess laughed and added her own power to the wind and rain, whipping it into a whirling vortex. The Hero pulled out his magnificent new weapon, letting the Gale Boomerang crash through keese as he had before. Ganon howled in renewed fury and sent the ground forces - mostly Bulblins and squat, surprisingly small Moblins - into them. Zelda released her wind magic and flew back up, Link beating his wings to rejoin her. Once the wind died down and the rain subsided, she threw lightning and Link cast his basic Din's Fire explosion, catching enemies both above and below.

One problem immediately presented itself when an Aeralfos crashed into Zelda, bearing her to the ground. _Uh-oh._ The winged lizard-men had been strong enough to navigate the storm and survive the blasts. Link cried out wordlessly and stooped down at her attacker, tearing it off her and crushing it beneath sword and shield, but more were flying at them. "There's too many!" Link shouted, slashing and leaping more expertly than ever. Zelda flew to him, allowing them to fight back to back, but they were surrounded both on the ground and in the air.

"Indeed!" Ganon laughed triumphantly. "Beg for mercy, Zelda, and I might let your Hero die quickly instead of having my warriors slowly tear him limb from li - EYYAH!" The terrible beast screamed, falling over. Impa stood on his back, _nodachi_ black with Mandrag's bile-like blood. The gash was already sealing, but the High Sheikah did not relent.

Darunia rolled past them with thunderous speed and power, tearing a hole in the Moblin forces. Ruto charged in, a squad of Zora elite by her side, and they slashed through the hordes with acrobatic grace. A small knot of Gerudos rode by, led by Nabooru but bearing the banners of both the alliance and Ganondorf's forces, and fired arrows into aerial forces and surface units alike. "You two started the party without us!" the Spirit Sage called jovially, gesturing with a sweep of her hand. A Moblin shuddered, Dark Fire spurting out of the creature, and turned into a Bullbo. "Have you no shame?"

"None whatsoever," Link laughed, slashing his way towards Ganon. Zelda shuddered with relief and accompanied him, her sword glowing with Light Force that made it twice its length. The Hero turned briefly, calling forth an unfamiliar cane, and generated strange blocks of raw energy behind them to slow their enemies. Impa stabbed at their bestial foe with workmanlike skill. For a moment, the Sage of Time thought they'd won.

With an explosion that sent them all flying, Ganon surged to his feet and punched outward. Pure power threw them around like rag dolls. Impa made herself go limp in the air, spinning helplessly. With a gasp, Zelda forced herself upright and summoned mana around her. A swirl of emerald energy brought her to her beloved mentor's side, and the princess caught the Sheikah's hand. "Got you!" she called, Impa gripping her hand tightly.

"And I," Ganon rumbled with satisfaction, pointing the trident at them, "have you, oh princess." The prongs erupted with Dark Fire.

_That's what you think,_ Zelda chuckled mentally. On cue, Link appeared between the two Sages and the surge of befouled power, dispersing it with the Master Sword. The Hero locked eyes with their ancient nemesis, Farore's might almost glowing around him. To Zelda's aura vision, he _did_ glow, angelic and pure with a pale emerald nimbus. Impa pulled herself up into Zelda's shadow and vanished, freeing the princess to conjure her Light Bow once more. _My Hero._ Forming a Light Arrow, she pointed it between the monster's eyes. "Call forth all the debased creatures you wish, Mandrag, it will avail you not!"

"I am Ganon!" the monster roared. He pointed the trident at them again, and Poes, Mothulas and anti-fairies emerged, flying at them. "Your power has limits! Mine does not! I will - HNN! Not again!" He whirled to face his latest attacker, limping slightly from the slash to his leg, but stopped at the sight of the tall Gerudo general on her sleek courser. "Aveil?"

"Release my king, vile beast!" Aveil reared her great steed, scimitar raised.

Ganon, leg wound already healed, threw out another wave of power. It threw Link and the Sages back but crushed the very monsters he'd summoned. "I AM YOUR KING!" he roared furiously. "Obey me or die!"

"I would gladly die to aid the Great Ganondorf against you, treacherous usurper!" Aveil charged. _No, Aveil, you have no magic!_ Zelda thought desperately, fighting through the waves of power. Link held out his Master Sword, making better progress than she, but it was clear that neither would reach them in time. Nabooru was more frantic than the rest of them combined, but she was as helpless as a sparrow in a whirlwind.

Ganon snarled and speared Aveil through the abdomen with the trident's central tine, lifting her to his snout as if scooping food up with a fork. Link screamed in grief and frustration. "Fool," he snarled. "Ganondorf is nothing more than a piece of me now." She threw her scimitar into Ganon's neck, and he glanced down idly at the metal sticking out of him before returning his attention to Aveil, ignoring the sword. "Beg for death." A surge of Dark Fire flew up the trident.

"Gerudo...never...beg..." Aveil grunted, refusing even to scream. Zelda's vision blurred, and the princess realized she was crying.

Link howled, grief-stricken, and thrust the Master Sword into the wound still occupied by the scimitar. That got Ganon's attention, and he flung Aveil aside thoughtlessly and turned his attention to the Hero. Zelda caught the Gerudo, lowering her to the ground. "Nayru's Heart," she whispered, but the Dark Fire burning in the general's wounds defied her magic.

"Wh...why?" Aveil whispered.

"Because you're alive," Zelda snapped, "and you're not trying to kill us!" She turned, snapping another Light Arrow off at Ganon while Link fought the Dark Beast in epic battle. "We 'grasslanders' may accept the necessity of death, but we don't let it claim anyone without a fight!"

"An honor...of your own," she sighed, body going pale and cold. "It's what you were trying to tell him. Ganondorf." Zelda nodded, weaving mana, focusing it, channeling it. Nothing worked. "Did you not know I killed your father?" Aveil rasped, and Zelda froze. _Wh...what?_ "No. You didn't." She leaned her head back. "Odd. I think my king was trying to protect me."

_So this is war,_ Zelda realized, pain clutching her heart. Aveil was Link's friend. She fought to help them to save her king. _She killed my father._ The princess looked down into Aveil's eyes. _I can't hate her._ Somehow, the thought salved her grief more than she could have imagined. "Ganondorf spoke the truth about your king. He died like a Gerudo, giving his life to slow me." She patted her leg, and Zelda caught a vision of the bandages beneath her trousers.

"I'm not going to let you die," Zelda said forcefully, drawing forth yet more mana.

Aveil grinned and shook her head. "Even you cannot cheat the reaper every time, Princess of Destiny. Save your people, and mine. Slay our king, and save him." She gestured weakly, just catching Link in the wave of her hand. "Your Hero has a Gerudo's heart. It is he who needs you now." The general let her head fall against the sand. "I have done my duty." She closed her eyes, exhaled, and didn't breathe in.

Zelda let out a shuddering sigh, then with an act of will, stood and turned. Summoning another Light Arrow, she focused on it, pouring power into it until she thought she would burst. _For us all,_ she thought, determination filling her as completely as the mana. The symbol of the Triforce of Power appeared over Ganon's head, an inverted black triangle forming beneath the glowing, upright one. The depraved beast was saying something to Link, taunting him, she thought. _For Link._

She let the arrow fly.

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Trident clashed with sword, throwing Link to the ground. The Hero snarled and righted himself with a flip, what the Sheikah called a _kippup,_ and spun the Blade of Evil's Bane in his hand. He charged, Ganon stabbing at him, but Link rolled past the attack and spun when he was between the monster's legs. Hitting both ankles at once, he rolled away while Ganon roared again. Link's foe whirled, dancing in outrage, unable to favor either hoof. "You will stop stinging me, insect!"

"Delusional as ever," Link shot back, trying to make the burst of power form around his sword. He failed again. _I must need to be at full health,_ he thought, realizing the wounds disrupting his life field were preventing him from harmonizing with the power he wanted. _Din sear it, anyway._ He backpedaled, Ganon stalking towards him. _No crystal on the tail. No glowing wound in his chest. No gut slowing him down - he's all muscle, like the last time, in that other time stream. And he's the largest of them._ Impa was throwing needles into the beast and Ruto was firing bursts from her arm fins, but Ganon ignored them both. Almost casually, he pulled the scimitar from his neck, most of the injury vanishing, and threw it at Darunia. Link's mighty Brother dodged, but that threw the warrior's rolling aim off, and the Goron leader had to settle for crushing more thugs. _No wonder he keeps ignoring everyone else. I have to think of something._

Suddenly, a light glowed from Ganon's forehead. _The Triforce of Power. This just keeps getting better, doesn't it?_ Link's blood ran cold when a void of an inverted triangle ate light beneath the Power symbol, 'glowing' darkly at the center of the Triforce lines. Even Onigami recoiled at that. "Ah, you see it. The Void, the true power behind what you call the 'Shadow Force.' Hunger, desire, need - this is the basis of the Triforce. This is why it has been sought throughout your pathetic history." He stalked towards the Hero, fang-like teeth gleaming as the moon rose. A wolf howled mournfully while twilight died. "The three goddesses knew this, yet created the Triforce anyway. Did you ever stop to wonder why?" Ganon laughed and brought his trident up to strike, but paused at Link's expression. "Perhaps you have...do you, oh pure and noble Hero, hunger for something? Do you want it with a need that consumes your soul?"

Link shuddered, bringing sword and shield up defensively. Mandrag leered at him with poisonous glee. "You do! How delightful! Then you know I speak the truth!" He spun then, parrying Zelda's Light Arrow with his titanic weapon. "And _that,_ wretched princess, will not work again!" He held up the trident...then stopped, his arm shaking as the weapon glowed with golden light.

"I knew that," Zelda replied with a mirthless smile. "Link, now!"

The Hero looked all the way up at Ganon. "Now _what?"_

"Trust me!" Zelda flung her hands into the air, gathering a familiar power between them. Ganon shook the trident as if trying to flick something off of it. The glow intensified. "Sages!"

Darunia sprang to his humanoid form, clapping his hands together. Saria appeared on his shoulders, hands clasped in prayer. Ruto and Nabooru were surrounded by protectors instantly as they, too called on their powers. Impa appeared on a hilltop, Renato and Fanadi manifesting on either side, and the Shadow Sage's eyes vanished behind voids.

Link's wings manifested themselves, and though he thought their light would blind him, the Hero could see perfectly. Somewhere in his fairy space, the Light Medallion exuded mana that felt endless. Mandrag's trident froze entirely, and he yanked at it angrily. Link prepared to fly at the King of Evil, but paused, something not quite complete.

Suddenly the Triforce of Power hammered Ganon from within, and the terrible beast swayed, baying in agony. "No! No, Ganondorf! We - we can work something ouuUUWW!"

"Coward!" Link lunged at the foul creature, Master Sword aimed at the void in the center of his head. "Liar! Your void has _nothing_ to do with the Triforce!" In desperation, Ganon held out his free hand and cast a massive beam of Dark Fire at the Hero. Link snarled and slashed at the burst, surging and spiraling clumsily to charge at the monster. Turning into the beam by mistake, Link grunted as the foul power burned his body and soul. Ganon's fear waned, and the villain turned a beady, hateful eye on the Hero of Time. Already, the giant was starting to pull free of the Sages' power. _They can't hold him for long. I have to reach him. Now._

Ignoring the pain, Link flew straight up, then dove right at the monster's head. Ganon gaped, realizing what the Hero was doing, but even the stream of Dark Fire couldn't stop him. Link smote the creature between the eyes, his full weight behind the strike, and while the rest of its body thrashed wildly, its head was frozen in mid-air by the Blade of Evil's Bane. "The heart of the Triforce is compassion! It's faith! It's _love!_ And as long as you're this pitiful, hateful _thing,_ it's a power you'll never understand!" He pulled out the Master Sword and leaped away, flying to land at Zelda's side.

The power of the Sages ripped at the Dark Beast, all three pieces of the Triforce forming barriers around Mandrag. "No! NO! Not again! I won't be sealed again!"

"You will," Zelda said calmly. "You will, and you shall never again be as you were. Mandrag dies for all time this day. You are Ganon, as you claimed, now and forevermore. May whatever greatness truly lives in the Gerudo King have some echo in what you become."

Link felt the magic and truth in his beloved princess' words, her pronouncement becoming both seal and sentence across Time and penetrating the Realms themselves. _He was Ganon,_ Link realized, _when he tricked Vaati. He is Ganon. He will be Ganon._ All the Hero of Time couldn't say was whether the goddesses would ever find their beloved friend again in the thing the Sages now sealed. Wearily, he sheathed the Blade that had been his greatest fear and was now his trusted companion. Navi flew to his side, and they shared a satisfied grin.

The huge cobalt form shattered like glass, each shard swirling away into darkness and spirit. _The Evil Realm, reclaiming its mightiest prisoner,_ Link realized wearily. Then he jerked back with a start, gasping and drawing the Master Sword in a blur.

Ganondorf stood there, leaning casually on his mighty greatsword. "Well done, kid," he said evenly. Link, shaking with exhaustion and frustration, took a step toward the Gerudo King. "Looks like I underestimated you. Aveil was right - you have a Gerudo's heart after all."

"Sear you," Link half-sobbed. "When we sealed Ganon away, that felt _right._ That was how it was supposed to be - how _we_ are supposed to be! Isn't it!" He took another step, Master Sword wavering, but the Hero's soul remained resolute. "We were supposed to be friends, Din burn you! We were supposed to be friends."

Ganondorf stared at the Hero, then nodded. Suddenly, the king fell to one knee, the sword falling from his hands. He panted weakly, face a mask of pain, body trembling beyond his control. "Perhaps..." he said then, propping himself up on one arm, looking up at Link and grinning his defiant thief-king's grin. "...in another life, Hero." Somehow, he held up his other arm, forming a fist. "Gerudo! Vanish!" The survivors from among his people froze for a long, tense moment, looking ready to charge to his defense in one final act of loyalty and defiance, but they obeyed, riding and running back into the veiling swirl of desert sand. "This day...is yours." With that, he collapsed.

Link fell to his knees, spent. _Gods. Why?_ He shook his head. _Just...why?_

Before he could register movement, Zelda's arms were around him, holding him tight. Her glorious, wondrous magic filled him, and the pain, sorrow and weariness all vanished. _Oh. Yeah. Right._ Somewhere, he found the smile that formed on his lips, but was hers, and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him, tears glistening. "It's over," she said, and he knew she was right.

_Those eyes. Mine, at last._


	19. Part 2, Ch 7: Serenade of Hearts

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Chapter Seven: Serenade of Hearts**

"Hello, Father," Zelda said, kneeling in front the royal tombstone and laying flowers before his name. The princess felt Link's ever-comforting presence to her right, while Impa stood, all but invisible, behind and to the left. A cool, gentle breeze seemed to embrace them all. "It's hard to believe it's been a month since...the battle. Sometimes, it feels like it just happened, and all of it hits me again." Link squeezed her shoulder kindly, and Zelda touched his hand, gratitude filling her. "Other times, it's like a distant dream, something that happened in a story or another life."

She chuckled. "You wouldn't believe the new Castle. They're finally working from the blueprints you drew up before I was born." Zelda shrugged, fingers running lightly over his name. "With all the damage, we're building Castle Town anew. It'll take years, but we finally have the time. A silver lining, I suppose. Oh, that reminds me. Zuko survived the battle, can you believe it?" The princess shook her head, smile growing. "Senza's family adopted him after a fashion. Zuko whines about having those 'accursed children' following him everywhere, but he's become a second father to them, and Senza's wife swears he's the gentlest soul alive. Zuko!"

Zelda sobered. "Ganondorf's execution is tomorrow. It's so strange. All my life, he's been the Dark Enemy, the Great King of Evil, but now I feel bad that it's come to this." The princess sighed, and Impa put her hand on Zelda's other shoulder. "He's been almost jovial about the whole thing. It's bizarre. He thought he was going into the Twilight Realm. Honestly."

"Oh, one more thing - the new constitution. Half the nobles are up in arms, of course, but they're coming around." The Sage of Time traced the Triforce on the ground. "Link's popularity is helping there. The 'commoners' - gods, I've learned to hate that word the last few weeks - love him, and they're excited by the idea of the parliament." She rolled her eyes. "There are already opportunists working on that, but the Sheikah are keeping an eye on them. Veran is up to her usual tricks, but I think she's finally learned her lesson." Zelda stood and caressed the tombstone one last time. "Be happy, Father." She let a flicker of a glance touch on Link briefly before looking away, smiling shyly. "I think I will be, now."

#I am grateful for that, my beloved child.# Zelda gasped and looked up - _Father?_ - and for a moment, she saw the mighty Daphnes, looking thinner than she'd ever seen him, next to a blonde woman of almost unimaginable beauty, her muscled frame not detracting from her grace or femininity in the least. He was in magnificent courtly garb, and the lady wore a dress much like Zelda's own, though she held a strange orange helm beneath one arm.

They smiled at her, and the woman winked. #Be good, Zelda. Just not _too_ good.# With that, they faded slowly away.

"Mother...?" she whispered. _Thank you._

"Was...was that..." Link gasped.

Zelda spun, eyes nearly as wide as her smile. "You saw them too?" Link nodded mutely. She hugged her Hero, then led him across the graveyard. "Let's go home."

Impa glanced behind them one last time, then followed the princess into Kakariko. "There is still much work awaiting you, Zelda. The Council has considerable power while you remain princess, and all the kingdoms of Hyrule are still recovering."

"Impa, we defeated Ganon himself," Zelda replied with a smile, the bustle of the growing town flowing around them in an almost comforting way. "I think we can handle logistics and politics."

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_So this is how it ends._ Ganondorf stared at the strange constructs of Light that faced him. Chained to the great slab that served as half of the gateway formed by the Dark Mirror - the Mirror of Twilight - he stared defiantly at the Light Sage's avatar. "You still cower in the Sacred Realm, Rauru, that I have come to expect and accept, but now you reduce your colleagues to the same cravenness?"

"Ganondorf Dragmire, Demon Thief," the Light Sage replied coolly and formally. "What you see now are the_ essences _of the Sages, placed here to serve Hyrule for all time." The mask was unmoving, but Ganondorf could sense the satisfaction radiating from the figure. "All your defiance merely ensured that the Arbiter's work - my work - would be completed. The lives of the land's great protectors will end, but their knowledge and wisdom shall live on." He looked on the Sages' Sword, which hovered near the Mirror. "You, however, will not."

"We give you one last opportunity," the Spirit Sage added quietly, "to repent your mistakes and return to the cycle of reincarnation shriven of your sins. Whatever else you have done, you acquitted yourself well against Ganon."

Ganondorf laughed. "Ganon? All that is impressive about that fool comes from his sad attempt to copy me." He shrugged. "End this today. Tomorrow, I shall live again, and your precious land shall tremble before my might!"

The Water Sage - or at least, her 'essence' - took the central position, and the remaining Sages moved to watch from either side of her. _Of course. Ruto has the right and the fortitude, something most of these weaklings lack._ He half-snarled, half-smiled at the ghost-like mask, almost seeing her eyes through the emptiness behind it. Ganondorf briefly considered saying something to her. _No. It doesn't matter. I only desired her. Love was something I was taught not to know._ Strangely, images of Nabooru and Aveil flickered through his mind. _The past? The future?_ The sword floated in front of the Sage of Water. _Who cares? My present ends here. All that matters now is that I die like a Gerudo._ He bared his teeth defiantly. The sword snapped upright, the Sages' stares unmoved. It flew into his heart. Everything flashed bright, then went dark.

#Ganondorf...#

_What?_ He had no body, but Ganondorf straightened. He had no head, but the Gerudo King looked about him. There was only emptiness, save for the golden glow he'd known all his life. He'd only felt it in its true form for barely a week, but even that was worth his fate. In spite of the Twinrova sorceresses, he'd been whole, if only briefly.

#...you do not die yet...#

From a great distance, he felt his body. There was a fissure of light, indeed of _Light,_ torn in his armor and his chest, yet something moved within it. A heart that should have been no more was beating. Lungs that should have been torn apart pulled in air.

#With the Triforce of Power...#

It was Ganon's voice. Mandrag _was_ dead after a fashion, as Zelda had sworn, and the creature that had replaced it was something greater. Nevertheless, King Dragmire was not fool enough to trust it.

#...you cannot die from any force...#

Slowly, his feeling returned. Fingers twitched. Arms moved. His head obeyed, and his senses came back to life.

#...less than the Master Sword itself...#

Ganondorf chuckled. Then he laughed in truth, standing upright with a surge of strength. _Yes. Yes! I will avenge this defeat, and bring these fools to their knees!_ Straining against the chains, he felt a remnant of the Triforce of Power give him strength beyond even the Hero's. As the Sage-shards watched in horror, he broke his right shackle, the Triforce more than its match. He showed the Sage of Water - and, he hoped, Princess Ruto - the symbol, and the Sage's mask came to life, eye fields widening in terror.

With a single, final surge of might, he shattered the remaining manacle and rushed forward, blasting the embodiment of the Water Sage's essence into motes of energy with one implacable blow. The remaining Sages recoiled in fear. _Cowards,_ Ganondorf thought contemptuously, his gaping smile leaving the fools shaking. _Typical._ Realizing he had a weapon immediately at hand, he grasped the Sages' Sword and, with no regard at all for the pain, ripped it from his body. Indeed, the satisfaction had him laughing with more vindication than ever. _Now. To destroy these sad constructs of the Arbiter, and then to find the Hero!_

The Forest and Spirit Sages looked to the heavens. _Praying?_ Ganondorf shook his head as they reached up. _Fools...wait, what is...what are they doing?_ The Mirror of Twilight lit up, but tilted away from him. _Hah! Too little, too late._ He watched with derisive amusement as the many symbols and forces within the Mirror emerged as constructs of Light. His amusement vanished with a shock, however, when he felt its power grip him.

_No! They cannot!_ Struggling, then looking behind him, he saw the huge stone form the gateway in its enchanted carvings. _Curse Lenzo and his Din-seared charm-science!_ The power ripped the sword from his grasp.

Then it turned him into living Shadow energy and cast him into the Twilight. In his mind, Ganondorf laughed again. _Ha! Even greater fools than I ever dreamed!_ Though he could not resist the force thrusting him into the alien Realm, the King of Evil felt almost victorious. Already, he could sense the powers of Light and Shadow slowly bending to his will, and a sea of anguish that fed him from the moment he arrived. _They have made me one with the fundamental elements, the dolts! It may be a year, it may be a millennium, but with power like this, I will escape, and then I will fulfill my destiny!_

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"Ruto!" Impa wrapped her arms around the Zora princess, keeping her from hurting herself in her thrashing. _Gods! This wasn't supposed to be possible!_ the Shadow Sage thought, nearly frantic. "Darunia!"

The Goron leaped to her side, gently pinning the powerful Water Sage in his grip. Beneath them, the Chamber of Sages' platform flickered ominously. "What happened?" He turned his head to look at a stunned Rauru. "Light Sage! How can this be?"

"I...I do not know," Rauru admitted, horrified. "Perhaps she invested herself overmuch in the Sage projection. She had reason," he said quietly.

Saria and Nabooru slumped, panting. "He's gone," Nabooru said dully. "Ruto?" Looking up, the Gerudo's eyes widened in fear for her friend. "Gods be good - Ruto!"

"Can you do something?" Saria asked the Light Sage, who shook his head, still staring. Impa snorted. _Then what good are you?_ she thought uncharitably, but Saria merely nodded. "Then I think I know someone who can." She called forth her Fairy Ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby.

Impa raised an eyebrow. "I suppose there's no point in asking where you learned that."

"Who do you imagine taught Link to play?" Saria said with a gentle smile. Zelda appeared in the heart of the chamber, its Triforce symbol glowing briefly when she arrived.

"Ruto," Zelda breathed, rushing to the still-convulsing Zora's side. "Nayru help us." She placed her hands on her fellow princess' head, grimacing. "How?"

"A parting gift," Nabooru said bitterly, "from the King of Evil."

The Sage of Time drew in a hissing breath. "And I actually felt something for that despicable - Ruto, please, come back," she said suddenly, and the Shadow Sage felt Zelda call on both psychic delving and mana's power. "Nayru's Heart," the Hylian princess whispered, mana flowing into Ruto in a rush.

Ruto froze instantly, eyes flying open. She took a deep, gasping breath, then went limp. "uhn...uhn..uhn...ohhh..." she grinned at Zelda. "Well. That was far from my best showing ever."

Zelda exhaled and slumped, leaning on Impa's arm. _I know how you feel,_ the Shadow Sage thought in relief. Saria threw her arms around Nabooru and cried openly, the Spirit Sage hugging her Forest counterpart with clear discomfort. Rauru walked over to Darunia and Ruto, peering down at the Zora princess. The mighty Goron scooped Ruto into his arms, cradling her tenderly. "How are you, child?" the Sage of Light asked, his eternal calm shaken.

"Well, aside from not being a child," she said with quiet amusement, "I'm going to be weak as a tadpole for a time, I think, but otherwise I seem more or less intact." Ruto grinned at the Princess of Destiny. "I suppose I'll have to let Mikali dote on me. Perhaps you can tell me what it's like to be helpless in a man's arms?"

Zelda blushed. Nabooru and Ruto laughed. "Figure it out for yourself," the Time Sage retorted. Impa put on her Sheikah 'mask,' but inwardly she grinned. _She's fine._ As soon as she thought it, however, something about the words felt wrong. Before even the High Sheikah could react, though, Zelda stopped in the middle of turning to face Rauru, looking back to stare into Ruto. "Are you sure you're all right?" she asked with concern.

"You mean aside from barely being able to move?" Ruto drawled in a whisper. After a moment's consideration, however, the Zora frowned. "Odd. Now that you mention it, I do feel like something's...missing."

Zelda turned away suddenly. Impa couldn't hear the conversation, but she felt her student contact someone across the divide between Realms. Without an Enchanted Ocarina, there was only one person she could possibly be 'pathing to. After several tense moments, Zelda mentally returned and sprinted to the Water Symbol engraved in the Chamber. "It's cracked," she whispered.

"So?" Ruto quipped, though her smile was weaker than she was. "That's what everyone says about me."

Rauru, however, nodded gravely. "Yes. The essence of the Water Sage is...not gone, exactly, but dormant."

Zelda looked stricken. "Ruto, I'm sorry...I tried so hard..."

Ruto laughed. Her voice was weak, but Impa could tell that her spirit remained strong. "Will you stop, Zelda? I'll be fine. So I'm not the Sage of Water. I'm sure something can be done about it, when it needs to be done." She wiggled her feet helplessly, frowning. "I'm more worried about my father's reaction, thank you. He'll probably have four brutes of nursemaids sitting on me until I can swim up the waterfall again."

"Indeed," the Sage of Light agreed. "I will arrange for Ruto to be returned to her people. Most likely, the rest of you should return to yours."

"I'll bring her back," Nabooru said quickly, grinning. Impa stared at her meaningfully. "Hey, I'm not going to get her into any trouble. At least," she added, grin broadening, "not until she's fully recovered."

"Hey," Ruto objected. "Who's going to get whom into trouble?"

Zelda sighed and shook her head, but was unable to resist a smile of her own. "Okay, you two, you figure it out. I was in the middle of a Royal Council meeting, and gods only know what Veran's up to while I'm here."

"I believe I will accompany the Sage of Time," Impa added. _I don't know what that sudden impulse was, but I mean to follow it. I dislike what I just felt._ Zelda just nodded gratefully, and together, they vanished.

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Link paced half-wildly, barely able to contain his panic. _Something went wrong! I know it!_ He looked up, grimaced, and returned to his pacing. _Gods, why do they just leave me like this?_

#Because you're a big boy and you can take care of yourself?# Navi quipped, alighting on his nose.

Brushing her off irritably, the Hero resumed his attempt to wear a groove in the stonework of the castle hall. A part of him imagined the portraits of ancient Nohansen nobles staring down at him disapprovingly, but he was so used to such stares even his perverse self-doubt couldn't make much of that. "Oh, you're hilarious, Navi. It's not me I'm worried about!" He reached into his fairy pouch, hand trembling, and once again pulled out what he'd already seen. The four pieces of the Water Medallion glittered back at him, mocking his powerlessness. "Ganondorf did something to Ruto. I know it." He thrust them back into the pouch savagely.

"Link..." Navi's teasing tone had vanished. "Whatever happened, happened. You can't do anything now."

His hands clenched into fists, then unclenched, repeating the motion as he resumed pacing. "That doesn't make it any easier..." Zelda walked briskly towards him, Impa by her side. "Thank the gods. Zel, is everything all right?"

"No," Zelda admitted, "but Ruto will be fine." Link sagged against the wall, and the princess hugged him. "She's going to be weak for at least a month, I think, but she's otherwise unharmed." She grinned at the Hero. "She'll be her old nosy self again before you know it."

"I never thought I'd be glad to hear that," Link admitted.

Zelda nodded a bow to the Hero, and he jumped nervously. The princess giggled. "You're cute when you do that."

"You think everything I do is cute," Link replied defensively.

"I suppose I do at that," Zelda said, smile turning sly, "but that's only because it's true." She kissed him on the cheek. "I have to hurry. The Council."

Link touched her arm quickly. "But...what about the Medallion?"

Zelda bit her lip and looked away. "Impa will have to explain. I must hurry." She hiked up her skirts and walked quickly, not quite running, but it was a near thing.

"Hmmph." Impa stared after the Princess of Destiny, crossing her arms.

"Impa, please," Link said, walking half in front of the Shadow Sage. "What happened?"

"You know about the Light constructs at the Arbiter's Grounds? The Sage 'essences' we were to transfer?" Link nodded. "Well, the process was not complete, and Ganondorf...refused to die."

Link listened to the tale, eyes wide with horror. "No. Gods, no. He's still alive, and there's no Water Sage?"

"It's not nearly that bad," Impa said reassuringly. "The Twilight Realm has never been escaped. While I imagine Ganondorf will be the first, it will most likely be a very long time from now."

_Twilight...oh._ Sighing and nodding, the Hero slumped to the ground. "Then it really is over, at least for us." Impa nodded. "We'll have to leave a complete record. We must be sure that future generations are ready for him when he does emerge."

To his surprise, Impa laughed. "Gods be good! Hero of Time or no, your quest is done, Link. Take some time to appreciate your victory. When you haven't been helping the Ranch rebuild or the Castle Town project, you've been training with Renato, Lenzo, me, Zelda..." she snorted. "Farore, Zelda's the only one who can make you stop for five minutes."

The tips of his ears warmed. "Rather more than five minutes," he muttered. Impa laughed again. Link glanced at her wryly. "I'm glad I'm so good for your mood, Impa. You don't laugh enough. But gods, am I really that funny?"

"You're a joy, my pup," she said, hugging Link with a ferocity that amazed him. "And Sheikah don't bother with the reserve among family."

"Family..." The Hero blinked back tears. "Saria's been my only family for so long..."

"Well, now that the war is over and Zelda is finally courting you properly, you're going to find that you have rather more than Saria, worthy as she is," Impa replied firmly. "Though..." she continued, voice dropping as she looked away.

"What?" Link asked, perking up again.

Impa smiled wryly and shook her head. "You seep well." Confused, he just stared. Finally, almost seeming shy, the High Sheikah continued. "Thanks to you, I have my son back, a debt I can never repay - and that on top of rescuing Zelda in the same moment." She stroked his cheek with two fingers. "Before that, though...I found another son."

Link's eyes bulged. He swallowed. His body wouldn't respond. Then, all at once, he did, hugging Impa desperately and sobbing. "Sh, sh, it's all right, Link," she said, holding him as he shuddered.

Somewhere in the heart of the castle, there was a loud bang. Link and Impa leaped into ready stances immediately before realizing that the sound was not an explosion, but simply a door being slammed by someone with strength to shame a Goron. They looked at each other for a second, then with the same thought, raced down the corridors as one.

_Zelda._ Link didn't know if Zelda was the source or simply the cause of the sound, but it didn't matter. _If she needs me, I have to reach her._

Both skidded to a halt at the sight of Hyrule's princess, eyes flaring, hair wild and untamed, a faint hint of lightning crackling around her fingertips. "Z-Zelda?" Link asked.

The transformation was dramatic. In less than a second, the wild figure, seeming a goddess of the storm, turned into a sheepish, demure figure. "Link! Oh, I didn't worry you, did I?"

"You nearly panicked us both," Impa replied dryly. Zelda bit her lip and looked down, then shook her head, her expression changing to determination.

"Impa, if you would accompany me?" Zelda asked, waving for her protector to join her. Humor vanishing, the Shadow Sage flowed to the princess' side. "We must talk in private." Link nodded and moved to follow, but Zelda held up her hand. She shuddered when she looked at his face - _I didn't look mad, did I?_ - but took his hand and smiled strangely. "Please, Link. I swear, I'll explain soon. Just...let me handle this?"

Link breathed in to object, but there was a desperation in her eyes that struck into his soul. He bowed and kissed her hand. "As you wish, my princess," he said, and hoped the shudder wasn't frustration or guilt. When he looked up, he suspected it was the reaction he'd wanted. _I think I'm starting to get the hang of this stuff._ He dropped to one knee, emboldened suddenly. "I am the Hero of Time. No matter when, no matter where, for the sake of Hyrule, and you, Princess Zelda...I shall fight."

Again she shuddered, her breath quickening, and he hid a smile behind his lowered head. #That's my boy!# Navi exulted. For once, he didn't mind.

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Zelda closed the door to her room carefully, bolstered every ward, and increased the sound baffles. Tied to the wards, any breach in the barriers would not only remove the baffles, but alert Ashei and Rusl immediately. Then, eyes narrowing, she formed a ball of force in her hand and threw it at a chair. It shattered. _How dare they?_ she thought, taking a roughly intact leg and slamming it against the wall, cracking it. Then she threw it at the ground, looked at the ceiling, and screamed wordlessly. _How DARE they?_

"Difficult Council meeting?" Impa asked evenly.

"They _forbade_ me to marry Link. Forbade!" Zelda clenched her fists, trembling in outrage. Even her mentor stared in surprise. _"Technically,_ the Council has Regency powers until I am crowned, never mind that they leave most of the work to me when it suits them!" She threw her hands into the air and paced. "According to some ancient, decrepit law that was never quite repealed, a Crown Prince or Princess must have the permission of a reigning monarch or, in the absence of a monarch, the Regency, to marry anyone who is not a citizen of Hyrule! This is Veran's doing! I'd have her flogged through the streets _naked_ if I didn't think she'd _enjoy_ it!" Impa coughed politely, bringing a hand up to her mouth.

Zelda spun on the Sheikah then, eyes flashing. "You know what most drives me to distraction? The councillors who vote _with_ her and Onox! Veran's power-hungry, it's almost an honest emotion, and Onox is Onox," she continued, waving in frustrated dismissal, "but Lady Pompie says 'it's for your own good, dear,' and Jovani lets Veran do his thinking for him when it comes to anything besides money, and that empty-headed drone Mila lets Veran think for her, period!"

Zelda sat on her bed forcefully, then slumped, rage spent. "The councillors who voted with me were a relief, at least. Only Potho didn't erupt at the scheming sow, but at least he respects my right to make my own decisions." The princess smiled wearily. "Agitha and Lenzo bent Veran's ear almost in half, but you should have heard Uli!" Zelda chuckled. "Sweet, gentle Uli! I almost blushed four or five times at the language she used!"

"She is married to a knight, even if he is Rusl," Impa pointed out reasonably. "Besides, ever since that winter, she's thought the sun rises and sets by the Hero. Did you think she named her daughter Lina on a whim?"

"At least someone feels some gratitude toward him, then," Zelda hissed, fury returning. "You know what? I _am_ mad at Onox! Who saved him from Ganondorf's curse? And that part about my father being part of his 'plan' was such an obvious lie - oooh!" She sprang to her feet to pace again. "I'll have him arrested for High Treason!"

"You'll do no such thing, at least not yet," Impa said firmly, taking Zelda's hands and guiding her to a stop. Zelda glared at her mentor, but Impa's gentle calm brought the princess back to herself, ashamed. She tried to look down, but the Sheikah's eyes locked with hers, and the princess relented. "That's better. Now, I'm sure you can handle those fools on the Council if need be."

"'If need be?'" Zelda asked, eyebrow going up. "I know that I can wed him when I am queen. Veran can make her insinuations about abdicating all she wants, but she needs a two-thirds vote to deny me the crown, and Saria will kiss Ganon before that happens." She frowned. "But that's at least ten years away, and I'm done leaving my Hero to wait on a bed of needles!"

"You're not going to have to wait for him until you're 27, daughter of my heart," Impa said gently. The Shadow Sage's eyes twinkled almost mischievously, and Zelda was unaccountably reminded of Nabooru.

"You have a plan," Zelda said suddenly. It wasn't a question.

Impa nodded, smiling slyly. "I have a plan." She draped an arm over Zelda's shoulders in a manner more sisterly than motherly, and the Sage of Time felt pride that nearly brought tears to her eyes. "I was going to do this anyway, as much for you as him, seeing how you've wanted him to be rewarded according to his worth - or at least, as close to it as mortals can manage." Impa leaned closer. "Here is what I have in mind..."

Zelda's smile grew with each word Impa whispered in her ear. _A worthy reward, indeed._

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Link paced outside the throne room, lips pressed together in frustration. #What are they doing?# he wondered 'aloud' to his fairy companion. #Everyone's been acting weird since yesterday.#

#Beats me,# Navi replied, pacing on his scalp in time with him. #All I know is that Impa was acting more like Nabooru than herself last time I saw her. She had a ridiculous smile on her face, and she was acting like the world's worst conspirator, except of course this is Impa - I didn't hear a thing before she vanished.#

#Impa. What in Farore's name could Impa possibly have to do with me being called before the court?# Link glared at a particularly sour-looking queen in a portrait. She looked like she'd eaten a raw lemon whole. He stuck his tongue out at her. She continued to glower disapprovingly. _So what else is new?_ Link thought, returning to his pacing.

Sir Rusl opened the door, smiling broadly. "Master Link, Hero of Time, you are summoned before the Council and the Princess Zelda."

"Finally," Link muttered, walking forward.

Rusl leaned close as Link passed. "Don't let those cretins get to you, lad," he whispered, and Link felt a bit lighter. His heart nearly soared at both the smile on Zelda's face and the clear effort she was making not to let it split her face in half.

Veran, however, only seemed slightly discomfited by Zelda's satisfaction. She was watching warily, Onox standing imposingly behind the Lady, but she did nothing more. The Hero resolved to ignore them. He had cleaned up to the point where he smelled of lavender, and his white mail gleamed in the light streaming through the stained glass windows. He dropped to one knee and bowed before his princess, placing his hand on his heart. "As always, Your Highness, I am yours to command."

"We shall see," Zelda said cryptically. Lady Marie, the herald, was playing a gentle tune on her harp beside the princess for some reason, and Link couldn't help but smile at the memory of another harpist. Peeking to the side in spite of himself, he caught Veran raising an eyebrow at that. "A matter of some import has come before the Royal Council, Hero of Time, savior of Hyrule, Ganon's Bane," she said, her rattling off of titles - particularly the new one - making him blush, "and you, as it happens, are at the heart of it."

"Have I been some trouble to you, Princess?" Link asked quietly, suddenly worried as he looked up.

"Not directly," Zelda replied. "However, it turns out that a technicality in the law is causing some trouble with a project of mine, and I was hoping you could help."

Link bowed his head again. _What is Zel up to?_ he wondered. "As I said, Your Highness, I am yours."

Even with his eyes down, he could feel Zelda's smile broaden. The Hero felt oddly like he'd just walked into a trap. _Her eyes caught me long ago,_ he thought pleasantly, dismissing the feeling. "Excellent. First, however, we must hear from the Sages." She stood, and everyone rose, Link included. "Sir Rusl?"

The noble knight grasped the door handle. Link followed Rusl with his eyes, catching him nod happily to his son Colin. Malon turned from looking at the younger knight to meet his gaze. She bounced on her toes excitedly and waved at him, smiling more widely than his Zel. _She doesn't have to keep up the same decorum,_ he realized. _What are they up to?_

Rusl opened the door, and Link stared goggle-eyed at the sight of Mido in livery, wearing a superbly tailored knight's garb with a tabard that bore the Kokiri symbol on it, vivid green on white. He carried the staff the Deku Sprout had grown for him, and his fairy swirled around it excitedly. Link felt Navi boggle as well, but immediately, the Hero sensed the staff's power sustaining the Kokiri 'boss' outside the forest. In a sense, it was the forest, or at least enough of it to count. "If it please the court of Hyrule and Zelda," Mido said with a cultured voice more shocking to Link than his fine appearance, "now comes Saria, Sage of the Forest and Queen of the Kokiri."

"Queen?" Link blurted in spite of himself. A moment later, he realized the only reason he hadn't heard Navi say the same thing was because they'd spoken in perfect time. Zelda gestured idly, an air of quiet triumph about her, that he step to the side, and Link leapt to obey.

Then Saria strode in serenely, a smooth, graceful effect marred solely by the beaming smile that reached from ear to ear. She wore a robe of rich forest green, a crown of emerald and gold adorning her coiffed hair. The Sage carried a rod of office, the top a glittering miniature replica of the Spiritual Stone of the Forest. The rod radiated the same power and living energy as the Stone itself, and most of the court clearly felt it. Saria walked up nearly to where Link had been, then curtsied formally to Zelda. "Your Highness, thank you for seeing us on such short notice."

"Oh, it is a greater pleasure than I can say, Your Majesty," Zelda replied, bowing in kind.

"If I may ask," Lady Veran cut in quietly, "when did the Kokiri crown a queen?"

"Last night," Mido said curtly, sounding far more like his old self. Link suddenly felt better. _Okay, I didn't fall into another parallel world yesterday,_ he decided with relief. "Do you mind? The royals are speaking." Veran gave Mido a sour look that Link found familiar for some reason and leaned back, folding her hands at her waist.

"Thank you, Sir Mido," Saria said brightly, and Mido beamed. "However, Lady Veran, I must apologize for my Lord Champion's abrupt response, as your question is quite valid. You see, we Kokiri have never seen the need to formalize our leadership. Mido has always been all the military commander we needed, and I have advised him on civil matters." She glanced fondly at Link, then nodded to Zelda. "However, the recent crisis has taught us the value of alliance and unity, and so we have chosen to formalize what you might call the chain of command." Again, she curtsied. "I have come in the hopes that you would recognize the Kokiri as a part of greater Hyrule, and accept our offer of friendship."

"That is a wonderful idea, Saria," Zelda replied brightly. "Is there any debate on the matter from the Council?" she asked, sounding far too innocent to Link.

Veran quivered in place, some realization hitting her, but she said nothing. Jovani seemed almost excited, his pen flying across a sheet of paper. _Of course. We reap rupees from the land. The exchequer must be as close to passion as he ever gets._ Onox snorted, however, and Zelda glanced at him with deceptive mildness. "Have you some objection, my good Lord General?"

"No, Your Highness," Onox replied bluntly.

"Very well!" Zelda stepped down and took Saria's hands. "By universal consent, the Council is in agreement. We are honored and overjoyed to recognize the Kokiri and their monarch, Queen Saria." She kissed the diminutive Sage on each cheek. There were scattered cheers. Shad was bouncing excitedly on his toes, making Malon look positively staid. _I'd better warn Saria. He'll bend her ear for hours,_ Link thought, though not unkindly. Ashei tossed the scholar a fondly exasperated glance.

"Then you have my gratitude, and the loyalty of the children of the woods, Your Highness. That leaves but one more matter to attend to," Saria said, glancing at Link and looking clever. "As it happens, I have no progeny of my own. We Kokiri reproduce rarely, you see, as we do not age." The Forest Sage's eyes flickered to Veran quickly, but the Lady noticed, and her helpless outrage redoubled. "However, there is one whom I have raised as my own. Though he was not present, he was declared Crown Prince unanimously by the Kokiri people entire." She walked over to Link, her smile returning as wide as before. "Get down here, you giant," Saria whispered happily. Link swallowed. _Trapped, indeed,_ he though with a quiet chuckle, and dropped to one knee, bowing his head. She summoned a coronet from her fairy space and placed it on his head, arranging it carefully around the rim of his hat. "I ask that the court recognize Link, Crown Prince of the Kokiri."

"Hail!" a full third of the court cried triumphantly.

"My people, please," Zelda said mildly. "Such internal matters are for the Kokiri to decide, of course," the princess said, unable to keep her smile from spreading. "We are more than happy to make your prince welcome in our castle." She curtsied to Saria. "I hope I have Your Majesty's permission to court your son."

"Oh, I was quite aware of your courtship, Sage of Time," Saria replied, a twinkle in her eyes. "Rest assured that the forest people approve entirely." Scattered applause responded to her.

Veran strode to Zelda's side, bowing shallowly to the Kokiri Queen. "Congratulations, Your Majesty." Link frowned as Veran leaned closer to the Sage of Time. With his Sheikah training, he focused his senses to hear them past the harp music. "Well played, Your Highness," she whispered quietly, even Link barely able to hear the sorceress. "Peasant or prince, however, he is not a citizen of Hyrule proper."

"Oh, I know," Zelda replied lightly, though as quietly as the noblewoman. "I imagine the possibility of alliance might sway a vote or two, mind you...but Veran? Saria is just the first Sage we greet today." The princess waved dismissively, and Veran retreated, gritting her teeth. Saria glided to Link's side, beaming at him. _Only the first? What _are_ they up to? And what's this about citizenship and swaying votes?_

#I'm sure they'll tell us when they're ready, Your Highness,# Navi teased gently.

#Gah! Don't _do_ that!# Link blurted mentally.

#Now you know how Zelda feels,# the fairy retorted gleefully.

Link rolled his eyes. #I meant the surprise 'pathing too, genius,# he shot back, then looked at the door nervously.

Rusl let Link's Goron namesake in, floor shaking slightly with the lad's every step. "If it please the court of Hyrule and Zelda," Goro-Link said with his strange mix of gravelly voice and childlike tone, "now comes Darunia, Elder Brother of the Gorons." He bowed clumsily and stepped aside, the floor shaking more determinedly as Darunia strode through the wide-open double doors - opened wide specifically to let the massive Goron hero through. The Elder Brother rubbed his son's head proudly, then stepped forward. Goro-Link waved excitedly to the Hero, who waved back timidly. _Now what?_

Darunia bowed once he reached the same invisible line Saria had. "Greetings, Keeper of Knowledge, Sage of Time, Princess of Destiny," the Fire Sage said with skillful formality. Zelda held a hand to her face and bowed in kind. "Though the Goron people cannot offer the same wonder of novelty that my delightful colleague Saria has, our long friendship is a bond to be treasured in itself."

"Noble Darunia," Zelda replied sentimentally, "Hyrule owes its existence many times over to the Gorons' great strength, loyalty and honor, each mightier than the last."

Darunia coughed humbly. "You do us honor beyond our station, great princess," he said, deep voice belying the friendly spirit behind his words. "We, too, have come to pay our respects to the leader of Hyrule..." he straightened then, and flashed his massive smile at Link, "and to show our gratitude to the Hero, who has ever denied all reward for his great deeds." Link's blush felt burned forever into his skin. "This time, though," he continued, wagging a mighty finger at the young Hylian, "you don't escape!" The Fire Sage boomed with laughter, then returned his attention to Zelda. "When we first became allies, your great father forging the peace that would come to settle across the lands of Hyrule, he granted us the power to declare any we chose Lords of the Mountain, that they might be honored among all who acknowledged the High Crown. I thought it a strange gift at the time, for we Gorons are all Brothers, with only some small recognition for those whose achievements or skills mark them as Elders or Masters of a particular craft."

He turned his gaze back to Link, chuckles echoing throughout the throne room. _He didn't._

#He did,# Navi chuckled.

"The Hero's service to my people, however, is singular, meriting an equally singular accolade. Three times has he saved us from extinction," Darunia insisted, freezing Link before he could object, "from the terrible Dodongo plague, cruel Volvagia, and the shadow-king Zant. To properly recognize this heroism and nobility, my people have chosen to grant Link, Hero of Time, the title of Goron Lord, with a tithe appropriate to his rank and station."

Finally, Link found his voice. "tithe?" he breathed. _Well, I found part of my voice, anyway,_ he thought half-hysterically.

"Indeed!" Darunia laughed. "Eating rocks as we do, few of us need money, aside from our Masters of the crafts. However, we find many minerals that Hylians consider precious, yet which do not agree with Goron stomachs." Goro-Link laughed at that. _Goron humor, probably,_ Link guessed. "Such materials, we sell, and sometimes give as gifts to Sworn Brothers who can make use of such things. Great Daphnes received such a tithe, may the gods forever bless him." Jovani jerked up at that, staring with wide eyes at the Elder Brother. "Our gift to Link is of equal measure - a full percent of our bounty."

The Court Exchequer reeled. Even Zelda took in a stunned breath. Link's mouth worked for a few moments before he could speak again. "Um, how much bounty are we talking about, Brother?"

Darunia laughed again and pointed at Jovani, who jumped in alarm. "Ah," the exchequer stammered, "I imagine the actual numbers would mean little to you at this time, Hero, but this, I imagine you can fathom: you are now the second wealthiest person in Hyrule, after Zelda herself."

"Wow!" Navi blurted. "You're rich!" Link felt her grin. "Can I have an allowance?"

The Hero swayed, but kept upright, conscious of his beloved friend - _and Queen,_ - he realized with another shock - at his side. _It'd be bad to fall on your monarch, I'm sure._

"A most generous gift, equaled only by its recipient, Elder Darunia," Zelda said, turning her sly, triumphant look on Link once more. Veran's fingers rippled, but she otherwise didn't react. Darunia bowed one more time, then stepped next to Saria, the two Sages sharing a fond, friendly look. _Okay, the citizenship thing didn't change. I'm 'just' a prince and a lord. A mind-bogglingly rich lord. What next?_

Rusl opened the door again, and a fantastic-looking Mikali, dressed 'to the nines' as the courtiers said, stood proudly. Link swallowed, knowing exactly what the Zora prince was going to say. "If it please the court of Hyrule and Zelda, now comes Ruto, Crown Princess of the Zoras!" _Yep._

Four massive Zora warriors carried a litter into the room, and Ruto lounged invitingly on it. "I trust," she said as she approached, "I will be forgiven for not managing a proper bow."

Most of the court laughed at that. "Your courage, heroism and sacrifice do us all more honor than any physical gesture could equal, royal cousin," Zelda replied, bowing herself.

"As silver a tongue as always, eh Zelda?" Ruto quipped with a grin. Then she cleared her throat. "We of the Zora Domain have long been friends and allies with the Hylian people. Hyrule's might and wealth have been blessings to us all. We, like our most noble ally and friend Darunia, come to offer our respect to the Princess of Wisdom and Destiny...and to provide our own gift to the Hero of Time." She winked at the Hero in question. "You turn any redder, Link, and someone will think you've been boiled."

Link ducked his head at the renewed laughter. "I think I've been rewarded enough, Your Highness," he squeaked.

"Oh, but how can I let the Zora people be left out of this noble endeavor - Your Highness?" Ruto replied, rolling towards him and leaning insouciantly on one arm. "Which reminds me!" She leaned over to look at the bearers. "Lower me a little, okay?" They did, allowing her to look Link in the eyes. "There. Now. My people's gratitude is as deep as the sea, but none feel this debt more greatly than my father, for saving his only daughter," she leaned back then, placing one hand delicately on her collarbone, "from unspeakable fates on many occasions, including demonic shadows and the foul attentions of the mighty Ganondorf himself." A few courtiers gasped. "For such heroic deeds, it is his wish that you be adopted into the Zora court, to be a Prince of the River and a Champion of the Lake."

Link stammered wordlessly for a moment. Ruto leaned forward again, almost touching noses. "As my brother," she whispered, eyes dancing playfully, "even Zora morals would blanch at me flirting with you. On the other hand, marriage alone hardly forbids-"

"I am honored to accept," Link blurted. _Twice a prince! Farore!_

"Wonderful!" Ruto beamed at him, then threw a shameless, furiously blazing glare at Veran. "I certainly hope that no one would insult the Zora people, then, by interfering with the courtship of our prince by the Sage of Time." She turned back to Link, ignoring Veran's naked outrage. "You're only next in the line of succession until I bear children." She patted her belly. "So don't hold your breath."

Link gasped, then threw his arms around Ruto, decorum forgotten. "Congratulations!" He released his 'sister' when Ruto wriggled weakly. "How-?"

"The usual method, what did you think?" Ruto laughed. Link quirked an eyebrow at that, folding his arms. "Oh, you mean how did I know? Fertilized eggs start moving right away. Zoras know in hours, not months." She waved feebly. "We can talk more later, 'brother.' My bearers need a break, Impa's probably about to explode, and don't even get me started on Nabooru."

Link swallowed and nodded, and the bearers set their princess down next to Darunia. Mikali sat beside her, doting on her mercilessly. Ruto squirmed a little, but smiled in a manner Link didn't recognize for a second. _She's being - demure? Ruto?_ He looked around. _Maybe I did wake up in a parallel world._

Again, Rusl opened the door. This time, Renato veritably flowed in, wearing traditional Sheikah garb. "If it please the court of Hyrule and Zelda," Impa's son said with quiet strength, "now comes Impa, the High Sheikah."

Wearing what Link remembered Impa describing to him and calling a _kimono,_ the Shadow Sage glided in with grace that made Link feel clumsy just looking at her. He found himself a bit thrown to be unsurprised at the open stares she received from many of the courtiers. Though she still had the short hair and severe face of the warrior she was, Impa's undeniable beauty drew the entire court's attention. Taking tiny, dainty steps, she reached the throne and moved to bow. Zelda reached her before she could, though, taking the High Sheikah's shoulders and looking at her firmly. "You, mother of my heart," she said, just a hint of emotional quaver in her voice, "will never bow to me."

"Unless you command me otherwise, my beloved princess," Impa said, gently guiding Zelda's hands off, "I will indeed, and with pride." With a grimace Link sympathized with, Zelda relented, and Impa bowed formally. "The Sheikah humbly do homage to the Princess of Destiny, Zelda Nohansen Hyrule, and beg leave to return to the service of the royal family and the great kingdom it guides."

"That, High Sheikah, is an authority granted to me personally," she said with satisfaction, throwing cold glances at several Council members, "and I welcome you home gladly, with all my heart and soul." Zelda sniffled, and threw her arms shamelessly around her mentor, friend and surrogate mother. The cheer that followed came from nearly the entire court and shook the hall.

They released one another, sharing a smile for a long moment. Then Impa looked at Link with such triumphant cunning he wondered if he'd just been declared lunch. The feeling of being a rabbit overwhelmed him briefly. _Pink...why pink?_ "Which reminds me. Hero, you can evade this reward least of all. By accepting my tutelage, you embraced a position in the Tribe as one of the Trained. As such, you will simply have to accept being a Sheikah Lord as my decree and command."

"Your - a what?" Link said, voice normalized by having long passed shock.

"It is a long if erratic tradition," Impa said with satisfaction. "Few Sheikah have earned such an honor, but to be a Sheikah Lord...is to be recognized as nobility by the Court of Hyrule, and to have the right to live openly, no longer bound to the secrets and shadows of the land. You are still expected to serve the royal family," she said, voice thick with irony, "but somehow, I doubt greatly that such duty will be a burden to you."

She walked up to Link and pressed two fingers to his cheek. "You've earned this, my son." Renato waved secretly to him from the other side of the room, grinning.

Link looked at the great Sheikah hero, feeling both numb and electrified at once. "You arranged all this, didn't you?"

"That was my intent," Impa chuckled, "but once I brought the matter to the Sages' attention, well, every one of them surpassed my greatest expectations."

The Hero glanced at Veran briefly, who was looking away, a calculating expression writ large on her. He returned his attention to Impa. "What does all this have to do with the Council or citizenship?"

"Later," Impa said, "though I must point out that the Lordship I've granted you assumes citizenship, and thus technically does not grant it." She slid away gracefully, tiny steps taking her to Ruto's side. The pair glanced at each other and smiled yet again.

#I don't understand any of this,# Link 'pathed.

Navi shook her head, and he felt her reeling. #Don't look at me, Hero. I mean Your Highness. They're up to something, though, no doubt about it.# She brightened. #But I'll bet you'll stop being all 'I'm not worthy of Zelda' finally!#

#I gave up on worthiness a while ago, Navi,# Link replied, #but if I make her happy, that's enough.#

#Well, at least you've gotten that far.# The tiny fairy tapped his scalp with her foot. #After everything you've done, though, and now with all the money and titles and stuff, you think maybe you're up to it?#

#Sh, Rusl's at it again,# Link 'pathed quickly. Both quieted mentally and watched the door open. Eight Gerudo warriors literally danced in, swords swirling. No one reacted foolishly, but a great many hands rested on hilts. _Farore. That's just the Gerudo Crown Dance. I've got to explain their traditions to these people, if anyone'll listen to me._ A thought flared to life within him. _Hey, maybe I can do that with the whole 'princely diplomacy' thing. Gods know if it prevents another war, it'll count as diplomacy._ One pleasant note was quite literal - after a brief pause, Lady Marie resumed playing her harp in time with the dancers.

Ilia floated in, head held high as she rode a carpet into the room. _A flying carpet? What a great idea,_ Link thought. "If it please the court of Hyrule and Zelda," the Gerudo sorceress said, amusement rippling through her voice, "now comes Nabooru, Great Chief of the Gerudo." Ilia snorted. "And if it doesn't please the court, we all have a problem."

Nabooru strode in proudly to the laughter that responded. With a grand flow of her body, she bowed dramatically before the throne. "Your Royal Highness, it is an honor to be here, especially with the distinct lack of people trying to kill each other."

More laughter rippled at that, Zelda joining it. "Nothing pleases me more than that, Chief, Spirit Sage and friend," she replied kindly.

Nabooru looked at Link saucily and winked at him. "Gods be good, I hope that's a polite fiction!" she said, laughing herself that time. _Gerudo humor,_ Link thought, wondering if it were possible to blush even more than he was. "Anyway. We're here to pay our respects to you, of course," she continued, turning a blatant look at the Hero, "and to do our best to top my most magnificent colleagues among the Sages." She looked at Link. "You didn't just save our lives, Hero of Time. Thanks to you, we Gerudo have our honor, our spirit, even the very soul of our tribe."

Turning serious in an eyeblink, Nabooru bowed more deeply to him than she had to Zelda. "Long have we considered men the weaker sex, a pleasure at times, a bane in others, but never as equals. In you, we have seen the best not only of manhood, but of all that is human." She straightened then, approaching him with a strange formality. "Like so many others, we owe you everything." Her smile softened. "Yet because of you, the Gerudo now lack one thing."

Link's eyes bulged. He couldn't breathe. _Crown...Dance. ...eep._ Nabooru quirked an eyebrow at him. Finally, he could speak again. "You can't be serious."

Nabooru held out her hands, and a pillow with a crown appeared on it. "You were welcomed into our tribe long ago, Link. Now, you are the only man of our people." She winked. "A curious loophole, but our lawmistresses assure me that while there is no precedent, our tradition is clear."

He stared at the crown as if it were a viper. "Do I have to accept?" he croaked.

"No," Nabooru drawled, "but I will have to apologize to the tribal elders if you don't. The apology ends with me impaling myself on my scimitars."

_Trapped,_ he thought, snatching up the crown as if the viper were about to strike Nabooru. She fell to one knee and dropped her head, every Gerudo in the room following suit. "Hail, Link, King of the Gerudos!" Nabooru cried.

"Hail Link!" her people echoed.

She stood, noticing that Link was still holding the crown warily. Carefully taking it from his hands, Nabooru placed it on his head, careful to thread his hat through it and situate it behind the Kokiri coronet. "It's largely a formality," she whispered. "I know you'll take the job far too seriously, you being you, but we're not going to take you away from your true home." She stepped back, bowed again, then walked over to face the throne and the court's most prominent nobles.

#Wow, another promotion,# Navi noted. #Hey, does this mean you _outrank_ Zelda?#

Link felt like his eyes would pop out. #Din, Nayru and Farore, Navi, do you _mind?#_ Returning his attention to the Spirit Sage, he blanched at the towering wrath emanating from her, just barely held in check.

"Incidentally," Nabooru said, her voice quietly menacing, "I am given to understand that the Hero, the Hylian we all owe our lives and freedom to, a man who has given of himself selflessly and endlessly since childhood, is being shown the most outrageous disrespect by _some_ members of this court." Her eyes flickered across the tableau of nobility, and Pompie, Mila and Jovani turned nearly white. Mila swayed as if about to faint. Veran glared back, ice into fire, and Onox didn't react at all, but Link easily followed her gaze to the councillors she picked out for her fury. "Is there some reason the Gerudo should tolerate such behavior towards our king in the future?"

"Nabooru," Link said quietly, striding up to the Gerudo Chief and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "enough." Nabooru stared at him in surprise. "If I really am a king," he said wryly, "I'd rather not start my reign by reigniting a war we just managed to end."

The Spirit Sage shook her head and smiled. "I should've known. I hoped I'd at least have a few moments of shock to work with."

"Nabooru," Link chuckled, "I went past shock to outright denial about three Sages ago."

Veran stalked forward. "Have we endured this farce for long enough?" she hissed.

"You forget your place, Lady Veran," Zelda said quietly, smiling coolly.

The sorceress flashed a cold stare at the princess. "Do I, now? Does the Royal Council have any real power, or is it all just a sham, and you the absolute ruler you say you wish to prevent?" Zelda's smile vanished, and she gestured for Veran to continue. Link growled and stepped forward, but managed to check himself - barely. Lady Veran responded with a smile colder than her gaze. "And you, Gerudo King, twice a prince and twice a lord, richest man in the land...you are still a barbarian, a wolf who thinks the beauty can love a beast." She took one step closer. "And for all your titles, you are still no citizen, and forbidden by Council decree to wed the princess, a woman far beyond your...nature."

Link took a step back. "So that's what this is all about," he whispered.

Veran chuckled. Nabooru bared her teeth, but the noblewoman ignored her. "Oh, so she didn't tell you?" She glanced surreptitiously back, then gazed on the Hero again. "Perhaps I'm not the only one who sees the truth here." Despite himself, Link winced at that, and Zelda gasped faintly.

Impa, however, flashed a predatory smile. "We're not finished," she said quietly.

"Oh, so?" Veran whirled on the Sheikah. "Did you bring the Sage of Light himself?"

"Indeed they did!" Rauru boomed, the doors flying open to permit him entrance. The entire room went silent, even the harp going still briefly. Bowing from the back of the room, he moderated his tone. "If it please the court of Hyrule and Zelda, I, Rauru, keeper of the Temple of Light and its Sage, ask leave to enter."

"That, Sage of Light, is an honor you never need ask for," Zelda replied, her triumphant smile returning, redoubled. She glanced with almost open contempt at Veran. "Though perhaps the Council would like to say something on the matter?"

Veran recoiled from the Light Sage, backpedaling until she was in the corner she'd occupied with Onox. Rauru glared derisively at the noblewoman, then strode to the throne and bowed again. "The Sacred Realm itself pays its respects, Princess of Destiny and Keeper of Knowledge, honoring your wisdom and bravery." He stood and regarded the Hero impassively. "And you, my boy...you, with a humility that cannot hide a noble soul to outshine the sun...you have one final reward yet to receive." He smiled in an almost fatherly way then. "And even you, I think, will make no attempt to refuse this one." The Sage of Light held his hand out to the double doors, and two glowing Hylians walked in, a man and a woman. Both wore simple, sturdy yeomen's garb, the man strong and graceful with hair like gold, the woman lithe and crimson-haired, with a gentle smile and eyes that hinted at deep intelligence. Saria gasped.

Link turned. "Saria?"

"I know that woman," the Kokiri queen whispered. "But that's impossible. She's..."

"Dead?" Rauru asked gently. "Yes, I suppose she has endured the transition this world knows as death." Link's eyes widened then, his breath catching. "Simple farmers, but with strong spirits and a love of both learning and magic, they made a life on the edge of Hyrule...but within its borders, make no mistake about it."

Veran trembled. "Prove it," she hissed fearfully.

Mistress Agitha strode forward. "As it happens," she said calmly, as if discussing the weather, "I was informed of this...unusual procession...earlier. These good folk are Bo and Sera Ordon, names recorded in the census some two decades ago. They sent the paperwork to register their son, Link, but it was filed away when their lands were overrun during the first Gerudo War." She gazed placidly at Veran, who fumed. "The listed birthdate is, interestingly enough, exactly seventeen years from the day the Hero drew the Master Sword. It took some digging, but rest assured I have all the proof Hyrule's law requires."

Link heard the argument near the throne as from a dream. He stumbled towards the smiling figures before him. "M...mother? Father?"

"Link," Sera whispered. "We're so proud of you."

"A Hero," Bo added quietly. "How about that?"

Trembling, he reached out and touched Sera's face. It was solid. He threw his arms around them and hugged them tight, sobbing quietly. The entire court went silent then, almost vanishing from the Hero's world. "Now now, lad," Bo said warmly. "We're glad to see you too, but your true parents are the ones giving you the gifts, not the gifts themselves."

"I know their value," Link whispered hoarsely, "but you _are_ my parents, too. Saria told me what you did to save me."

Sera patted him on the back. "It's all right, m'dear." After a moment, she extricated herself from his embrace, Bo following suit reluctantly.

Link rubbed his eyes. "Can't stay, huh?" He chuckled sadly. "I guess this is a miracle in itself."

"Well, about that," Rauru said with a smile. "Certain functionaries are permitted occasional travel into the Light World."

Veran and Zelda exhaled very different gasps. "Functionaries," Zelda whispered.

"Indeed," Rauru replied agreeably. "While Bo and Sera were of the general populace - that is the correct word now, I take it?" Zelda nodded, dumbstruck. "At any rate, they were good yeomen in life, but in death, after giving their lives to save the infant Hero, Farore Herself has taken them into her service as guardians and messengers." He looked at Veran and Onox for a moment, eyes glittering, then laughed and regarded Zelda happily. "To use the better-known term for such spirits, angels."

"And it's back to work, then," Bo said cheerfully. "I know you can't visit much, and neither can we, more's the pity, but the occasional prayer wouldn't be amiss, you hear, lad?" Link nodded mutely, and his parents floated away, dissolving into beams of light.

"So." Rauru placed his hands on his ample belly and regarded Veran with a casualness that surpassed contempt. "This Council of yours can insult, oh, the Kokiri, Gorons, Zoras, Sheikah, Gerudos, the Sacred Realm and Farore Herself in an attempt to defy your own laws, or you can surrender with what good grace remains to you. Which reminds me." He held his hand out at them, and a shaft of light struck the pair. Onox grunted as flickers of Dark Fire flashed away from him, but Veran screamed and all but erupted in the fouled mana. When the flames vanished, she was physically unharmed, but she staggered from the purge of power. "You are going to have enough explaining to do on your own accounts to have any time for scheming against the Hero. Good day." With that, the Sage of Light faded away as well, briefly morphing into an owl perched on an invisible roost, then a mysterious cloaked form, and finally disappearing entirely.

Link stared at the empty space where the Light Sage had been, then at the other five Sages _(well, one former Sage,_ Link corrected mentally) lined up and favoring him with varying smiles, all broad and happy, and finally to Zelda. She strode over to him, both of them only vaguely aware of the guards suddenly surrounding Veran. "Well," she said quietly.

"Well," he replied brilliantly.

"It appears there's just one Sage left." She smiled beatifically at him. "Link, my Hero...king, prince and lord, champion of Farore and savior of us all...I can finally do something I've wanted to do for a long time, and you can't stop me." She dropped to one knee before him, and the whole court followed suit, even Veran and Onox. "I cannot offer you any accolades greater than those you have already been given. None of us can honor you more than your deeds and sacrifices have already done. I have only one gift I can give." She looked up at him, eyes alight with joy. "Myself."

He held out his trembling hand. She took it, and he easily helped her to her feet. Zelda felt light as the air itself. "You've outdone them all," he whispered. "You're all I ever wanted." They kissed, and in spite of the cheering, hugging and general outpouring of joy and triumph, there was nothing in the pair's world but the princess and her Hero, together at last.

ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ

Zelda sat in the field outside the castle, the road bustling behind her, watching the castle slowly change color as afternoon gave way to evening. The white stone turned a magnificent shade of golden orange this time of day, and the princess usually loved the sight.

Today, though, her final fear stood before her, looking at her with silent, accusing eyes. Her own eyes. _And now we find out,_ the Sage of Time thought, her fingers twitching, _if all our battles and sacrifices in the Temples were worth it._ She bit her lip and waited. From the clear sky, dark clouds began to form overhead. Guards looked up and muttered nervously. The suddenly massing storm seemed to be coming from nowhere to others, but the princess knew exactly what it was. _Almost time._ It had been less than a week for Link this time, from drawing the Master Sword to facing Ganon, but it had taken much longer in the other 'stream,' when he'd had to cleanse every Temple after his imprisonment in time.

Zelda smiled as Link returned to her thoughts. _Three weeks, and he still jumps at every 'Highness' and 'Majesty.'_ Her smile faded quickly. _He'll be here soon._ The Hero of Time would sense this as inevitably as its Sage, if not moreso. She leaned back, letting herself sink into the grass, and closed her eyes. _Soon._ She could feel Time flexing, weaving, healing after all Ganondorf had done to it. The Arbiter's work was nearly complete. All that remained was to see it through, literally. Her counterpart, the sister-self that had given her and this entire world birth, was stirring. They were about to catch each other up, and then they would flow in parallel as they were meant to.

With a start, she realized that someone was breathing next to her. She opened her eyes to find Link watching over her, smiling with a depth of love that set her heart pounding. "Well," she whispered.

"Well," he replied, stroking her hair gently. "It's so good to finally feel it when I do that. After so many times..."

Zelda's heart clenched. "So many times?"

"Huh." Link chuckled, for once not catching her mood. "I never told you. I dreamed for those years," he said gently, running his fingers through her hair, "training, learning...watching. Watching over my friends, my family. Over you." He smiled wryly. "Still never caught on to Sheik, mind you. Probably explains why I saw you so rarely near the end..."

Zelda sat up, looking away to hide the sudden flicker of doubt in her eyes. _He was _aware_ all those years? Farore...what does that mean?_ She forced her voice to remain calm. "Not me, Link. Not any more."

He slid to her side, his hand resting on hers. "Zel, what...?"

"It's almost here," she whispered, looking up. "That's why you've come, Hero of Time." Zelda felt ghost-like, distant. The woman was swallowed up by the duties of the princess and the Sage.

"I don't...oh," Link said, realization thundering through him. He gripped her hand and pushed himself around to lock eyes with her. Zelda returned to herself, pulled forth by a power to shame his mightiest wonders. "I am yours, Zelda. _Yours,_ and no other's."

"You are Zelda's," she breathed, barely even hearing herself.

With a growl, he gripped her shoulders. The princess felt like a leaf in a storm. "I did love her, that other Zelda. I suppose a part of me still does. But _she sent me away,_ Zel. You've claimed me. Nothing can change that, and nothing ever will." He kissed her, and the gathering storm felt like a mild breeze by comparison. She whimpered desperately.

Link sat back up quickly, releasing her. "I - I'm sorry, Zel, I -"

"You apologize for _that_ again," Zelda rumbled back, "and I'll..." She sat up and chuckled. "You're contagious, you know that?" Her eyes darted to the castle as the sun sank below the horizon, the black clouds blotting out the moon and stars entirely. Twilight had an eerie, almost unearthly glow then. "It's starting," she whispered, and it was.

A field of tiny golden motes appeared, forming the familiar circle in the air. The circle expanded with each passing second, growing far wider than any such field before it, to obscure Hyrule Castle entirely and reveal the ruins of Ganon's Tower. The artifacts all glowed with the same golden light, gathered in front of the Zelda Link had known first. Her feet were frozen a mere inch above the ground, caught in her descent. As they watched, she gradually returned to life and motion, slowly at first, but soon reaching the same speed as their world. The glows faded. The devices touched the ground.

Zelda - _the first Zelda?_ the Sage who watched wondered. _Zelda-A? That'll do for now, I suppose._ Zelda-A looked around sadly, caressing her Ocarina. "It's over, then," she sighed. Not quite stumbling, she walked over to the Fairy Slingshot and picked it up. "Link...tell me I did the right thing," the other princess whispered. Zelda's resentment for her counterpart vanished. _That could have been me._ She bit her lip. _That was me, until she sent me Link._ Zelda-A hugged the slingshot to her and started to cry. "Did you want to go? Did you want to stay? Gods forgive me, why didn't I ask you?" Link trembled, but held Zelda's hand more tightly.

A swirl of golden light formed above the ruins. At first, it looked like another artifact appearing, but the Time energy didn't become a gate or a window. Instead, it gathered with increasing size and force, becoming a ball. Zelda-A looked up at it with desperate hope. Zelda looked at Link with confusion, but he was staring at the field of Time energy, hypnotized. She gripped his hand more tightly then, but he remained solid. Trembling with relief, she followed his gaze back to the strange ball of Time.

Both Zeldas gasped as one. The energy was taking a shape, forming stubs, flexing, shifting...the similarity struck Zelda at once. _Like a baby growing!_ Arms and legs appeared, a head stretching out from a rapidly widening body. Zelda-A clasped her hands together, the slingshot still held between them. "Of course," Zelda whispered. "There couldn't be just one of you."

"There couldn't?" Link asked absently. "Isn't that what the Arbiter's been saying all along, that there's just me?"

"But there must have been a Link here. Even if that Zelda sent you 'into' your counterpart, that would double you, after a fashion." She chuckled. "We have the paperwork, love." Then the princess bit her lip. "Maybe...maybe it's the Law of Sympathy. Maybe you would have, I don't know, merged with him if we hadn't sent all those connections, what would have been his, to her world." The Time magic was now clearly in the shape of the ten year old Link, complete with a long hat of golden light drooping behind him. Zelda-A's tears were now tears of joy, a smile dominating her face. "It doesn't matter now," Zelda whispered happily. The light burst free, and young Link, the boy Hero, floated to the ground. A Navi exploded from his hat and swirled wildly. "It's been set right."

Zelda-A approached the lad nervously. "L...Link?"

Young Link looked up in amazement. "Whoa. Are you...Princess Zelda?" Zelda-A nodded. "Are you a goddess?"

"Ah ha ha ha ha!" Zelda-A laughed half-hysterically and threw her arms around the boy. He squirmed. "No, honey, I'm not a goddess." She let him go.

Young Link looked up at the princess and rubbed the back of his neck. The watching Zelda smiled and hugged her Link. "Well...okay, but you kinda feel like one." He looked around. "What the heck happened? I was just starting to sneak through the castle, but then I fell asleep, and..."

Zelda-A reached down and pressed the slingshot into his hand. Young Link jumped in surprise and reached into his fairy space, probing with alarm. "I have a story to tell you," she said, happy tears still trickling down her cheeks, "of a foolish princess, a terrible villain, and the bravest Hero I've ever known." She kissed the lad gently on the cheek, and young Link blushed. "You."

"Me?" Young Link looked up in amazement. "Um, Your Highness, I fought this thing called a Gohma, but that doesn't exactly make me the bravest Hero ever." He looked around oddly. "It's funny, though...I feel like I've had a really long dream. Like I can remember stuff that didn't happen...that almost happened?"

Zelda-A took his hand, looking toward Death Mountain with relief as five spheres of colored light - their Sages - flew towards them. "It's a very long story," the exhausted princess explained. As she began to tell him the tale, young Link's eyes slowly lighting up with recognition, the field of Time faded. The two became increasingly ghost-like themselves, until after several minutes, they vanished entirely.

"And they lived happily ever after," Zelda chuckled, hugging Link tightly.

"He's ten," Link pointed out.

"For him, she'll wait," Zelda replied immediately, standing and smiling down at her Hero. "I, on the other hand, don't have to." She moved to guide him to his feet, but lightning crashed suddenly, and the skies opened up. She gasped at the feel of the downpour. Link blurted something incoherent in surprise and leapt to his feet, throwing his shield over her in a chivalrous gesture.

A fey, wild mood struck her then, joy and relief and desire surging through her with a power and speed to shame the lightning above. She stalked into him, sliding her arms around the Hero while he was preoccupied with her defense. Link's eyes bulged. "Uh, Zuh-Zelda? Wh-what are you doing?"

"You're not _that_ innocent any more," she breathed, leaning up until her lips were just shy of his. Zelda let him feel her breathing, holding herself still in spite of the need bursting through her. Her Hero quivered, caught between chivalry and hunger. _No, indeed you are not,_ she realized happily. She leaned forward and pressed her cheek to his, lips now just brushing against his ear. "You said you're mine." He nodded mutely, entire body shaking. "And I am yours. Remember what I once told you was the hardest thing I ever did? Telling you to take off the Oni Mask?"Again, Link nodded, his free arm gripping her waist suddenly. "The mask didn't _create_ any feelings, did it?" she whispered, deliberately touching his ear with her lips again.

"N-no," Link stammered, holding her more tightly.

Zelda's eyes fluttered closed for a moment. _Oh, gods._ She pressed herself against him. "What I want, and what is right, aren't different any more." The princess leaned back and looked into his eyes. "Let it free, my Hero." Her chin quivered. "Please."

He threw the shield away savagely, pinned her in his arms and kissed her with a ferocious growl. _Mine,_ she thought, tears mingling with the rain. _Mine, and no other's._ Her mind fell away as he scooped her up in his arms and bore her off, the princess clutching possessively at his tunic. _And I am yours, my Hero, heart and soul._

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Thunder boomed in the distance, the mountains separating Hyrule from Altea dimming in lightning's wake. Link grinned at them, tugging at his forest green robe. _Wow._ Leaning on the balcony railing, he let a shudder take him, then whistled the Royal Melody happily. _Wow._

The clouds had broken up, and the bright moon was shining down on the kingdom. Link hummed Saria's Song then, feet tapping in memory of a rather more boisterous dance. _Wow._ Chuckling, he sighed, a daffy smile fixed indelibly on his face. _I didn't know there was that much joy in the - the universe!_

Something fluttering and chime-like echoed in his mind. The Hero blinked. _Navi?_ He looked around, realizing that he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his fairy companion. #Navi?#

#Oh, you're done?# she sent with some relief, and something else Link couldn't place.

Rubbing the back of his neck, the Hero sent a sheepish grin. #Um...Zelda's asleep. I just thought I'd get some air and...Navi, I'm still trying to figure out which way is up.# He exhaled, leaning more heavily on the railing. #I...I can't even try to describe it.#

He felt Navi nod, a faint laugh echoing through their connection. #That's okay. Fairies _bond_ to innocence, but we're not, how shall I put this, ignorant of such things.#

Link chuckled and raised an eyebrow. #Oh really? Have you been seeing fairy men behind my back or something?# he quipped.

The Hero's smile faded. A sorrow Navi had been holding back trickled through their bond. #Never,# Navi replied emphatically. #We're best friends, right?#

#Right,# Link 'pathed slowly. #So what aren't you telling me now...# The Hero's eyes widened, and his breath caught. _Fairies bond to innocence. Oh, gods._ #Navi? Navi, where are you?#

Navi paused reluctantly. #Link, you have Zelda now.#

#No. No, don't do this to me, Navi.# Link gripped the railing, fingers white with strain. #Where are you?#

She spiraled up to him, appearing from the garden below. He couldn't see her with his eyes, but the Hero could sense her twisting her hands together at her waist, tiny teeth playing at her lip nervously. #Link, our bond was always special,# Navi 'pathed, fighting off a sob. #A fairy can bond to any child, but we usually bond Kokiri because they never grow up.# She flew to his cheek and touched it gently. #You were always more pure, more innocent, than you ever gave yourself credit for.#

#What, and, and _that_ means I'm not, now?# Link shot back desperately, pointing at Zelda's bedroom. #For the love of Nayru, I've never known _anything_ more pure than that!#

Navi smiled, true happiness shining through her grief. #I know, Link, and nothing says more about the goodness in your heart than that.# Link shook his head in confusion. #No, Link. I'm not going to try to explain that. Gods grant _that's_ an innocence you'll never lose.#

"Link?" Zelda moaned sleepily.

"Sh, Zel, it's all right, go back to sleep," he called back quietly. _That was a searing lie,_ he thought painfully, but turned his attention back to Navi. #So what's going on, or can't you explain that either?#

#Link, purity isn't innocence,# Navi said wearily. #You've been saying it yourself for years. Our bond has held through thick and thin, through joys and horrors, because you were always the courageous, kind-hearted Kokiri boy I bonded, no matter who gave birth to you.# She alighted on his shoulder, folded her wings, and leaned against his neck, crying quietly. #But, but now you're a Hylian in your heart, a grown man. You have Zelda. You don't need me any more.#

"That's not true," Link said hoarsely. "Who says I have to choose one of you? Why should I have to?"

"It's not about choice," Navi whispered. "This was always going to happen, Link. I'm just glad it did...the way it did."

"Link?" Zelda called, stepping onto the balcony. Even in his current state, her beauty struck him dumb, robed as she was in silver-white silk. She all but glowed in the moonlight, her golden hair shining. "You're upset. I could feel it." Her eyes met his when he turned, careful as he was not to dislodge his fairy partner. She gasped and ran to him, fingers touching his cheeks. "You're crying! Navi, what's..." Her eyes flickered down to the fairy, Navi's size unable to hide the truth from a wizard trained in Sheikah arts. Zelda's hands flew to her mouth. "No. Oh, no, no, no."

"Don't you dare blame yourself, Zelda," Navi insisted, folding her arms firmly. "I just got through telling the thick-headed Hero here, this had to happen."

"But, but there has to be another way!" Zelda insisted. Impossibly, Link loved her more then.

Navi chuckled sadly and shook her head. "Noble Zelda. There are some things even you and Link can't change." She flew from Link's shoulder, hovering between them. "There is one last gift I can give you both, though."

"Navi," Link said desperately, "if I've lost this innocence you're talking about, why hasn't the bond already broken?" _Farore, please!_

"It's always been strong," Navi replied fondly. "You've always been strong. Please, Link, let me give you this." She spread her hands out, and azure sparkles of fairy light wafted to Zelda, surrounding her. Link could _feel_ his princess through the bond, her depths and heights, her insight and compassion, and the love he felt from her nearly knocked him off his feet.

Zelda reeled as well, gasping in time with the Hero. She reached out to him, and he caught her, the Sage providing as much balance as she received. "You...I thought I knew how much...gods, who could deserve..." she looked up at Navi suddenly. "Wait. Navi?"

Link's eyes shot up then as well, frightened for a moment, but he could still feel the connection. Indeed, it was stronger than ever. "Navi?" She hovered there, all but paralyzed save for her wings. #Navi?#

The fairy looked at her hands incredulously. "This...it's not possible. I was giving my bond to Zelda, but..."

From somewhere beyond, a voice familiar to Link and Navi chuckled lovingly. #Didst thou think thou art a typical fairy, bending Time itself as thou dost to protect thy charge? Didst thou believe that the legendary Hero would have any lesser partner than a legendary guide?#

#Great...Deku Tree?# Zelda gasped mentally.

There was the sense of a nod through their minds, a paternal love rippling across Time and Realms. #Though I perished long ago by the standards of those who walk and fly, the great deeds and sacrifices of the Hero and Sage of Time have been noted even in the Sacred Realm itself.# His mighty face of wood and bark appeared in their minds, smiling with vast and secret knowledge. #Just as Link was the Boy Without a Fairy, thou, beloved child of wind and Time, were the Fairy Without a Child.#

Navi nodded, though she still felt confused to Link. #Sure, but I thought you were just waiting for the right...child...oh.#

The Great Deku Tree laughed. #And so I was! Though few Hylians will ever retain the qualities necessary to maintain such bonds into adulthood, it is not impossible. Who could better hold such wonder and nobility in their hearts than Link, Hero of Time, and Zelda, Princess of Destiny?# With that, the mighty spirit's presence faded.

Link, Zelda and Navi looked at each other for a long moment. Then as one, they laughed with joy and relief. Link hugged his Zelda, and with their mana and love, they flowed their embrace around their fairy partner as well.

After a long moment of peace, however, Zelda shuddered, and Link held her tight to avoid stumbling from his own shiver. Navi giggled. #Now this doesn't mean I won't be making myself scarce at, um, 'certain moments,' all right?#

As one, the Hero and Sage of Time laughed. "I think we'll all be happier that way, Navi," Link agreed wryly. "Come on, Zel. I think we'd better sit down before we fall over."

"The fairy tales never mentioned this part, either," Zelda muttered wryly. Link watched Navi flit off across the garden again, catching a glimpse of a very satisfied-looking Impa before they rounded the corner.

_Now there's an odder couple than I would've imagined,_ he thought with a chuckle. "So Zel, how _is_ the fairy tale supposed to go?" he asked with a smile and a kiss on her cheek.

Zelda grinned and hugged him tightly. "Well, we're almost at the end. The villain's been vanquished, true love has conquered all...there's only one part left." At Link's quirked eyebrow, the princess laughed. "The wedding, of course!"


	20. Part 2, Epilogue: Coda

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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**Epilogue: Coda**

"You may now kiss, Link and Zelda, to seal this union before Time and the gods," Lenzo said, smiling broadly.

_You don't need to tell us twice,_ Zelda thought blissfully. She threw her arms around her Hero - her _husband_ - and 'sealed their union' most emphatically. Even without its roof, the Temple of Time rocked with the roar of joy and relief, guests both inside and out cheering wildly. The rubble had been cleared and the walls reinforced with magic, the damaged building still coursing with mana and wonder. Though another temple would be built in the new Castle Town, the bride couldn't imagine having done this anywhere else.

Even as completely as Link owned the heart of her world, the princess still saw Impa's eyes well up with tears. The mighty High Sheikah threw her arms around Nabooru, bawling like a child. For a moment, Zelda felt as stunned as Nabooru looked, but watching the Spirit Sage pat her counterpart on the back with an uncomfortable air almost made her laugh. Then, though, her Hero drew her back into his eyes and soul with a gaze that went on forever.

Their guests were from every corner of the land and beyond. Queen Ambi and her odd husband, Mayor and Mrs. Ruul, and King Marth and his fiancé, Nina il'Akaneia, represented Hyrule's neighbors. Even the parallel world of Termina was represented by two more of Link's friends, Anju and Kafei. _They're a really cute couple,_ Zelda thought happily.

The Sages were there in force as well, of course. Saria and Mido watched happily, the Queen moreso than her Lord Champion, but Mido sniffled proudly when he thought no one was looking. Impa, after mostly composing herself, watched with quiet, tearful joy. Nabooru, free from Impa's grip, was now watching Link's best man Renato with a distinctly predatory air. Renato shuffled in place, clearly happy for Link and Zelda but appearing unsure whether or not he should be trying to escape. Darunia was his usual boisterous self, waving and propping his beloved child over the crowd so the lad could see the happy occasion. Ruto leaned a bit on Mikali's arm, the Zora princess' husband not seeming the least bit put out by this state of affairs, but was otherwise looking like her old, outgoing self again.

Navi swirled excitedly above the Hero, not speaking but still unable to contain her movement. They both felt the happiness she felt for them flowing from her in waves.

Link himself, Zelda decided for the hundredth time that day, looked absolutely amazing. The Gerudo had insisted on creating appropriate garb for their king's wedding day, and while Link had been a little nervous - _I believe the term 'boy toy' had come up,_ Zelda thought, not quite giggling - Nabooru and her people had outdone themselves. Golden plate over forest green mail, with an emerald strip of cloth adorned much like Zelda's, it was both light and nearly invulnerable. His cap had been remade, the Gerudo symbol worked in on either side and his gold crown attached to the rim. He wore a sash across his chest, the symbols of the other nations he bore titles from worked skillfully onto it. _You look delicious,_ the princess thought, amazed at her own audacity as she pressed her hand to his rock-solid abdomen.

Her Hero swallowed, but let his eyes play up and down over her. She, too, was dressed for the occasion, a swirling dress of cunningly arranged white, blue and pink clinging to her from the waist up and flaring out almost bell-like below.

Malon, her Maid of Honor, looked on adoringly, the lithe Sir Colin watching from one side. Zelda leaned over just before Link led her from the dais and whispered to Malon, "'Manly'?"

The ranch woman blushed. "Shut _uuup,"_ she replied quietly, glancing at Colin shyly.

Zelda grinned triumphantly and allowed her new husband to lead her out into the exultant crowd in the market square. The entire city cheered.

There was a blur of congratulations, then a carriage ride to the castle, and a reception right out of song and story. The great field where she and Link had once watched a butterfly turn into a fairy was bedecked with streamers, tables and refreshments. A Zora band with a lead singer who looked like an older Ruto warmed up enthusiastically.

The party sprawled from the field into the castle's main hall, unofficially extending throughout the entire city. With so many living in the castle, the sprawling nature of the festivities was almost redundant, but the populace was celebrating more enthusiastically than anyone save perhaps Link and Zelda themselves. It was a beautiful haze of toasts, dancing, kisses both stolen and pointedly open, and gifts great and small. Link was particularly touched by, of all things, a bottle from the Lon Lons, while even Zelda couldn't help but be amazed by the flawless crystal wand Biggoron had 'grown' for them. The titanic Goron had apologized for its small size, which Zelda found amusing in spite of the apology's obvious source - the wand was five feet long and almost as thick as her arm.

After what felt like far too short a day, they 'escaped' to their carriage. Navi snored delicately in Link's crown as they retreated. The happy couple waved to everyone while they rode off. After a pleasant time spent just holding each other, cuddling, Link finally looked over at her. "Are you sure about this, Zel?" Link asked. He was trying to be careful and reassuring, but she could tell how excited he was. "I mean, neither of us has much experience with sailing." He chuckled. "Most of my time at sea was sneaking around pirate ships in Termina."

"Link, my love," she said, caressing his cheek, "I know you hate fighting, but I've seen the gleam in your eyes every time you return from a new land. You were meant to see new things, find new places, discover new worlds."

Link cupped her chin in his hand. "As long as I always find my way home."

Zelda dimpled at that. "Hyrule will always call us back."

"I didn't just mean Hyrule, you know," Link said quietly.

She punched his shoulder lightly. "Hey, from now on you're taking me with you most of the time, I'll have you know. I'm through getting left at the castle while you run off to these amazing new lands - and don't even try to bring up the Temples, they don't count." Link's jaw clicked shut.

"So." Link wrapped his arm around Zelda's shoulders and held her close. The wide road to Holodrum spread before them. "Where are we going first?"

Zelda giggled. "It's a secret to everyone."

"Very funny." Link glanced at her wryly. "I'm actually mostly serious, here."

"Well, how can it be exploring if we know where we're going?" she laughed. "That way, we have plenty of time to ourselves." She nudged him with her elbow. "Get it?"

Link pulled her closer and nodded happily. "As for our destination..." Zelda smiled and looked to the horizon. "The wind will guide us!"

THE END

The Legend of Zelda is © Nintendo


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